Red Lightning
by Ifrit and Ivy
Summary: The Kyuubi has been sealed...but it wasn't the only thing sealed in young Naruto, watch as this change of event affects the Shinobi world in a way no one ever could have imagined...FEMnaru. Pairings...gonna have to read and see.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Naruto, only the plot of this story.

**A/N:** This is a joint project between Kri-Ifrit and myself. She came up with an interesting idea of what would happen if someone else had been sealed inside Naruto along with Kyuubi, this one is the end result of that idea and now made into reality, so without further ado….let's begin.

**Chapter 1**

The great Toad Sage of the Sannin had just arrived to the Hokage tower, where he saw his sensei, the Sandaime himself, take a very small infant from the battleground where the Kyuubi had attacked and was defeated by the Yondaime…his student, who had fallen in battle against the terrible beast. He had just spotted his old sensei darting ahead of the shinobi that were following him back to the tower. Why he was heading there instead of the hospital with an infant in his arms, he had no idea, but he was sure the Sandaime had a real good reason for it. But something from the look on his dead student's face made him worry for the child, and what might happen to him. So abandoning his student's body, he prayed to Kami and Minato's spirit for him to forgive him for not showing the proper respect, but he had to find out what Sarutobi was going to do with his godson.

He stormed up the roofs and entered the office in the same fashion he always entered, through the window. A trait he had used to annoy his sensei and a trait he used on his student when he had became the Yondaime. He was about to demand what was going on and why his godson was brought here instead of being taken care of by at the hospital, when he stopped dead and froze when he saw what his sensei was doing.

There was Sarutobi, standing over the infant with his old ex-teammates huddled over the boy with chakra glowing hands over what looked like a seal over the baby's stomach.

It didn't take too long for the seal master to analysis the seal to understand what it was, and that it had Minato's personal touch, but from what he could tell they were doing, they were about to make a grave mistake.

"Don't disturb that seal!" Jiraiya had warned, reaching out to them to stop.

But Sarutobi had already begun when he looked up at him, puzzled as to what danger he was talking about. The other two elders were already beginning, glaring down at the boy, then their faces lit up as the seal began to glow a bright red.

Jiraiya acted fast. He would make his apologizes later if he felt they deserved one after what they did, when he rushed into the office and knocked them all away from the child. He pulled out a scroll and was already writing a series of kanji in a seal, then applied his chakra to it as it began swirling into a compact seal. He slammed his hand over the seal and when he parted it from the scroll, the seal was now attached to his palm and the scroll was blank. With the seal in his palm, he placed it over the infant's, and the bright red glow began to subside as his seal began to mind it, but then the bright red glow came back in full force, blinding everyone. Then as quickly as the glow had begun, it stopped.

When he was able to see again, he quickly looked down at the infant and sighed with relief. "Oh, good, she's okay….wait…SHE?"

Sarutobi came over to examine the infant and gasped. The little infant boy that he had brought into his office...a little blonde headed, blue eye boy…was now staring at them, laughing happily, was a emerald green eyed, red haired girl.

Jiraiya was godsmacked. His seal was supposed to repair the damage that the Sandaime and the two elders had done, but as he looked at the seal now, it had been completely altered. It had altered from a simple spiral to a vortex pattern, as if depicting a storm and the kanji seemed to have changed from an Eight Trigram…to a TEN trigram. The two additional trigrams baffled the Sandaime and was about to ask his student his thoughts when a fist struck him.

He fall, bewildered, to the floor staring up at Jiraiya in confusion. "What was the meaning of that, Jiraiya?"

"You damn old monkey! Why did you mess with Minato's seal! You could have killed Naruto and released the Kyuubi on everyone!" Jiraiya shouted in anger at him.

Sarutobi wiped the blood from the corner of his lip. "I understand that you're upset at the death of your student, Jiraiya, so I'll pardon this one time, but I had my reasons for tampering with the seal."

"You better begin explaining now," Jiraiya demanded, clenching a fist.

"You will remember your place, Jiraiya-sama. Now that the Fourth his dead, Sarutobi will be re-taking his position as Hokage," Koharu said stiffly as she folded her hands into her sleeves.

A cold glare from the Toad Sannin was his response to her, making the older woman flinch back in fear. He brought those hard eyes back on the Sandaime.

He sighed. "Before you judge me, Jiraiya, you must know that too much had happened. For one, when Minato sealed the Kyuubi in the child…he made a critical error."

"Error? Minato was too good to make an error, what proof do you have that he had messed up the seal?" Jiraiya yelled in outrage, ready to throttle the man for disrespecting his dead student's work.

"He sealed his own wife in with the Kyuubi…" Sarutobi stated clearly, giving him a serious look.

"H…He what?" Jiraiya uttered, completely taken back.

"Yes, he blotched the sealing when the Kyuubi attacked," Homaru said curtly, sniffing in distaste. "He could not kill the beast so he tried to seal it…and even in that, he blundered."

Had he chosen his words better, he wouldn't have been sent hurling through the air by the force of Jiraiya's fist. "Next, it will be a deathblow, you old fart!"

"Jiraiya! Calm yourself down. We don't understand how it happened, but somehow or other, Minato sealed Kushina along with the Kyuubi in his own son. I was trying to unseal her to save her from being attacked by the Kyuubi while inside the seal!" Sarutobi revealed, walking back over to the infant. "But I fear it might be too late…"

Jiraiya grimaced with him. After looking at the seal and knowing Kushina was sealed inside her own infant son, it didn't take much to understand why Naruto had changed coloring…but why did he change into a girl?

"Hmm, even so, no one but myself will mess with the seal…and I mean only myself," Jiraiya stated, letting the threat hang clear in the air. He was so angry with what these three old fools had done. If they had damaged the seal even more without him present, then he could only assume that the entire village would have been demolished upon the Kyuubi's release. They couldn't risk anything more happening since the seal had changed so drastically, along with little Naruto. He wondered if maybe it was a complicated henge that he wasn't aware of that had changed his gender, but he couldn't detect anything. All his senses, and being a woman's man, and a complete and utter pervert, he knew a female when he laid eyes on one, and this little one was definitely ringing female in his head.

"I want to be sure this isn't a permanent henge or an actual full transformation," Jiraiya suddenly said, looking over his shoulder at the three old ones. "I want you to summon Tsunade here, only she can truly identify Naruto's condition."

Homaru let out a contempt humph. "She will not return. She despises the village and has stated she would never return."

"But she's still listed as an active kunoichi of Konoha and must return if summoned by the Hokage," Jiraiya interjected sharply. "I don't care how, even if it means I got to go drag her by her blonde pig-tails, she needs to return, now!"

The force and passion of Jiraiya's words made even the Sandaime that was known as the God of Shinobi jump into action. He called for his fastest and best trackers, that namely being the clan head of the Inuzuka Clan and Aburame Clan. Inuzuka Tsume looked perturbed at having been summoned as she had a snarl on her face. Aburame Shibi was his stoic self, the same demeanor for all Aburame, and stood next to Tsume in silent patience.

"There better be a real good reason, we were called here at this time!" Tsume snapped. "The kennel was damaged during the damn fox's attack and nearly killed all our dogs!"

Shibi nodded his head. "We all have importance matters that need to our personal attention to, I'm sure the Sandaime has called us here for an important task."

Sarutobi nodded to Shibi for defusing the situation. "And you're right. I need you two to track down Tsunade and bring her back to Konoha. If she refuses, then tell her I will pay off all the gambling debts she's accumulated …since the last time I paid them off, and that the last surviving member of her family is in critical condition."

"Family? I thought there were no more members of the Senji clan alive?" Tsume gawked at the news.

"None with direct bloodline to the Shodaime, but there were some distant blood relatives left, now only one…" Sarutobi said, folding his hands together as he rested his elbows on the desk, assuming fully as the Hokage of Konoha once again.

"And if she even refuses this?" Tsume asked, already having an idea what would be needed to be done, after all Shibi was going to be sent along with her.

Sarutobi glanced over at the bug-using clan leader, nodding to him. "Then you have permission to use whatever force to detain her and bring her back, but I need her alive and able to perform any operation she will be needed for."

"If you don't mind me asking a question, Hokage-sama…but what exactly is Tsunade needed for? Was someone critically wounded that only her healing skills can cure from the Kyuubi attack?" Shibi inquired in a rare show of curiosity.

Sarutobi debated for a moment if he should give an answer or not; he choice for a diplomatic answer. "Once you've returned with Tsunade, then you will be fully inform for her purpose. For now, I need you two to go find her and bring her back as fast as you can."

The two clan leaders saluted and shushined out of the office, quickly returning to their respective homes to pack for their mission and inform their loved ones what was to be expected of them in their absence. Once they had finished their preparations, the two set out with their clan's companions to track down the Legendary Sucker, Tsunade…

_Two weeks later~_

Tsunade was very perturbed by the whole situation. She had been on the biggest lucky streak in her life when suddenly two familiar faces she hadn't wish to see appeared behind her and had informed her of the Sandaime's orders to return. Her response to them was a specific finger and what they could do with it. Her attitude changed completely though when Shibi had revealed to her that she had one last relative in Konoha and needed her skills. Now here she was, with her apprentice and the two shinobi that had tracked her down, walking through the great gates of Konoha and heading straight to the Hokage tower. Before they made it all the way there, an ANBU in a dog mask stopped them.

"The Sandaime has been waiting for you, he said to report straight to the hospital and await for him there. He will explain everything there," he said before puffing away in a poof of smoke.

Tsunade sighed and looked over at her apprentice, Shizune. "Not even back for a minute and already reporting to the Hospital, things never change around here…"

Shizune smiled encouragingly. "Don't take it like that, Tsunade-sensei. Look at it as the place you will meet you relative."

"I doubt that it's even true, but for sensei's sake, I'll see if this person is really a relative of mine or not. If it isn't, I'll punch the old monkey where it really hurts and we're out of this kami-forsaken village," Tsunade bluntly stated, glaring at anyone that so much as tried to look at her.

So the four made their way to the hospital and upon entering, Shizune spots a familiar face.

"Hizashi-san! It's been too long!" the young apprentice called out as she jogged over to a man that clearly belonged to the Hyuga Clan; on account of his long black hair and blank, pupiless eyes.

The man in question looked up and gave the young woman a rare smile. "Shizune, is that you? My you've grown!"

"So have you!" Shizune complimented. "I still remember the time you helped me out of that tree after the end of my kimono got caught in that tree. My, how embarrassed I was!"

Hizashi chuckled very softly and patted the apprentice on the head. "I was just in time to get you down before that branch broke. But enough of past times, why have you returned, and if you have…has Tsunade returned as well?"

"Yes, she came back! We're here to help a relative of hers that the Sandaime had informed needed her help!" Shizune said.

"A relative? I wasn't aware she had anymore..." his expression suddenly grew grim. "I wish I could go see who this relative might be…but my duties require I finish the elder's task.."

"…They still are abusing you and your side of the family?" Shizune said sympathetically.

He nodded shortly. "…I'm afraid it runs deeper than that. I was sent here by my brother to keep an eye on his wife, Hina and her expected child."

"What do you mean? Is there a problem with her?" Shizune asked in worry.

"Nothing as of yet…but Hiashi overheard the elders planning on doing something to her and the child once she begins to give birth. But I'm afraid I will be unable to do much should one of the elders wish me to not interfere," Hizashi said, reaching up unconsciously to rub the side of his forehead.

Shizune gazed up in sympathy, understanding his predicament, due to that accursed seal that the Main Family of his clan had placed on people like him on all the Branch Family. She could see the turmoil he was in, wishing to help his twin brother, but at the same time having to be on the bad side of the Hyuga elders. If they deemed it, they could use the seal that was embedded on his forehead to fry his brain and kill him in an instant or make him suffer for a long time before ending his life. Wishing to help her friend, she patted his shoulder.

"I'll go see and make sure everything goes well. I'm sure Tsunade will want to be alone with this relative and want to check up with whoever it is alone," Shizune offered.

Hizashi's face lit up and a sigh came out of him. "Thank you, Shizune-san! With you there, they wouldn't try to do anything funny…but I fear they may still try something once the child is taken back to the compound."

"We'll deal with things as they come. First, I'll go help Hina and see how far she is along with the delivery," Shizune said, smiling brightly at her friend and already making her way to the nurses' station to get the required information on Hina and her condition.

Hizashi stood close by in case there was something he could do to aid her, or warn her should the elders decide something funny. He had been very worried for his brother and his wife. The elders were too sloppy to keep from letting their secrets be known by a branch member from overhearing; then again, it could have been because they were so sure of their control over them, that they felt their fear of using the seal was enough to keep the Branch line under control and quiet.

He had hoped that some of the rumors some of the Branch family had heard was false, but he had learned a long time ago not to pass anything over with the elders. If they were trying something, it couldn't be good for whoever they were aiming to deal with, and he was very fearful for whatever they may have plan for Hina and her unborn child…

Tsunade didn't notice her apprentice had wondered off to talk and help her friend. She was totally focus on finding this so-called relative and see for herself if it was worth returning to Konoha, or another bad decision. After talking to the information office, finding out where Sarutobi would be, she stalked through the hospital to the isolation wing of the hospital. She was fearful of what she may find when she entered this part, hoping that she could get this over with before seeing the one thing that ruined her career as a healer. Before they moved further down, Tsunade heard a woman pleas' shouting nearby.

Curious, she stopped her trek to meet Sarutobi, and the professional healer in her, made her go to where she heard the pleas coming from. She found herself in the delivery ward, arriving in time to see a nurse walking away with a baby newborn, wrapped in a blue cloth, out of the room. She spotted a woman with light brown hair and a very brief glance of green eyes. At first Tsunade thought it might be Kushina and quickly entered the room. In her rush, she did not realize that she had stormed in as two Chunin were restraining the struggling woman back onto the bed.

"Get off me you bastards! I want my child!" the woman cried.

The doctor who had not noticed the intrusion yet sniffed impatiently at the woman. "You're duty has been fulfilled. There's no point in you being around the newborn. It won't be part of your life."

"It's still my child, you leaf bastards! I should at least get to hold her once before you do whatever you sick fucks plan to do with her!" she screamed.

"Humph," the doctor snipped, then looked at the nurse. "Sedate the patient, then begin her recovery. The sooner she is able to, we will begin the fertilization process again."

"Excuse me…what the hell exactly is going on here?" Tsunade asked sweetly, appeared quietly behind the rude doctor.

"Don't bother me know! And who let you in…here?" the doctor had spun around to deal with the person who intruded in his operation room, then paled in fright when he saw exactly who it was. "T-Tsunade-sama! You're back!"

"You didn't answer my question," Tsunade said, smiling very sweetly to the doctor. "What. Is. Going. On. Here?"

"W-We were under orders by the Sandaime who had authorized this project…I-I'm afraid I'm restricted from giving out any more information…e-even to you," the doctor whimpered.

"Is that so?" Tsunade said as she raised a finger and flicked the doctor on the forehead with it.

The reaction would have marveled anyone not familiar with the Slug Sannin's super strength. Just with the flick of her finger, she sent the rude doctor flying through the air and smashing to his equipment.

Tsunade looked at the nurse who was now quivering in fright. "Mind going to get that nurse back with that child? Or do I need to make my point again?"

The nurse rushed out of the room as fast as she could, blindly following the Slug Sannin's orders without hesitation. Tsunade sighed in irritation and walked over to the startled Chunin still holding onto the woman who was staring in wonder up at her.

"Get your filthy hands off that patient. She just gave birth and from the lack of scrubs or latex gloves for that matter, you two idiots are a major health risk to this woman. Now leave before I send you both out with my fist instead of a finger!" Tsunade threatened, clenching her fist tightly and loud.

"B-But we are under orders to not allow this woman out of our sights. She is to be watched at all times even during the pregnancy to make sure she doesn't try anything!" one of the Chunin stammered.

"You two sweethearts are lucky I can't use my jutsus right now. Otherwise I'd melt you all for taking my child as you did!" the woman growled, struggling against her restrainers.

Tsunade marched up right to the bed, careful not to let herself view the bloody mess that was most likely under the blanket that covered the woman's modesty from view after the delivery.

"Just why was your child taken?" Tsunade asked, ignoring the two Chunin beginning to protest.

"My child was taken to become the agreement tool that my father had that old fuck, the Sandaime agreed on for aid and to support a bloodline he seems to want to keep alive," the woman replied, wondering why she was receiving this much help from a total stranger. "I was the 'property' picked for this specific agreement and any child I bare would become a shinobi of this village…for better or worse."

Tsunade was floored. "Y-You mean that the Sandaime actually consented to forcing a woman to be bare children just to make more shinobi?"

"That was the pact my father and the old asshole made. I was to bare a loyal tool for Sandaime and in return the second child I bare would go back to Mist to serve my father…which I doubt would have happened," the woman said, glaring hatefully at her restrainers. "They seem to have other ideas, like keeping ALL my children!" The angry woman suddenly began to cry. "T-They wouldn't even let me hold her! They wouldn't let me have a moment with my daughter before taking her off to who-knows-where!"

Tsunade was completely disgusted by what had been done. Venting her anger, she punched both the Chunin at the same time and began unstrapping the woman from the delivery table. "So long as I live, no woman will be held from her child!"

"W-Who are you?" the woman asked in shock, not expecting at all any kind of help from anyone.

"My name is Senji Tsunade, you might have heard of me," the Slug Sannin replied, smirking down at the now gaping woman.

"One of the Sannin…the greatest medic herself?" the woman gawked.

"And you are?" Tsunade asked quickly, snapping the woman out of her shock.

"T-Temrui…Temrui Mei," the woman replied just before she cried out in joy when the nurse returned with her daughter.

Tsunade carefully snatched the baby from the startled nurse and moved to place the now sleeping infant in her mother's eager arms. The mother quickly hugged the child to her bosom, crying in joy to hold the child she was supposed to be denied.

"Oh, thank you! Thank you! " Mei cried happily. "I thought they would take her away from me forever!"

"I don't understand all that's going on here, but you can be sure I'll get to the bottom of this and find out what my ex-sensei has done, and why he did this to you," Tsunade vowed, already turning to leave the mother with her child.

"Wait! Don't go!" Mei called out pleadingly. "Please, you're the only good soul that I've met in this damn village…please, please protect my daughter!" She held out the child to the Sannin. "Only you can be trusted."

"W-What?" Tsunade uttered

"I cannot stay here! I'll be damned if I suffer through all this again only to end up maybe losing the next child! I want to get even with my father, but I cannot do anything if I have a child with me. So that's why I'm asking if you would watch over her, raise her as your own until I am strong enough to protect her myself from anyone that wishes to misuse her!" Mei pleaded, stretching out her arms to Tsunade. "I cannot bear to let her suffer the fate they had planned for her. If she's with you, she might grow strong enough to look after herself until I come for her."

This was completely unexpected for Tsunade. She had come here to find a surviving relative of her near-deceased family, now she was being asked to raise a child from a total stranger.

"Why me? If you know who I am, you probably know my…less reputable habits," Tsunade said, looking down at the sleeping child being offered to her.

"We all have our vices, at least with a Sannin, I'd know she'd have a chance until I can become stronger than I am now to protect her," Mei said, looking desperate. "Please, Sannin-sama…don't let these people corrupt my daughter!"

It was that creak in her voice that broke the obsessive gambler's heart. She could not refuse to help this woman or her child, even if it was still a bad idea to her, she would try to do what she could for them. Reaching out, much to Mei's relief, Tsunade accepted the child and started rubbing the patch of brown hair that matted the child's head.

"I've never raised any children…but I'll do my best to see she becomes and extraordinary person," Tsunade promised to the mom. She started to turn away from the bed, hugging the sleeping newborn to her and wrapping her tighter in her blanket. "What will her name be?"

"Sakai…her name will be Sakai."

Tsunade nodded in respect to the mother and left the delivery room, leaving Mei alone and childless. Mei watched her daughter leave, longing to take her back and hold her for a few minutes longer. But the reality of her situation demanded she escape. She clenched her fist, a fist that now held a kunai that was slipped into her opened hand when her child was taken away. Vowing to return for her when she could, Mei cut her restraints and began readying herself for her escape that would be by no means a walk in the park.

"I'll return…someday I'll make that bastard Sarutobi and my father pay for what they've done. I promise this to you, my little Sakai!" Mei vowed to herself, kneeling down and began stripping the clothes off the unconscious doctor. "At least you'll be close enough for a proper fit…then I'll burn these things once I can get my chakra back and my own set of clothes!"

When Tsunade stepped out, Tsume and Shibi found her.

"What's the hold up, Tsunade-sama…and what's with the baby?" Tsume asked.

"A child that lost her mother," Tsunade whispered softly, stroking the child's cheek and smiling down at it, then with a straight face, she came up with her cover story. "The mother didn't make it and will not be able to look after this little one. So I've decided to take her as my own and raise her as I'm sure her mother would have wished it if she could."

"Umm, well that's quite a sudden decision," Tsume marveled.

Shibi quiet his own opinion to himself, not wishing to upset the happy new mother. "Let us continue on. I'm sure the Sandaime is wondering where we're at…"

"Hmm? Oh, sure…sure," Tsunade replied, smiling warmly at the baby.

Shizune had just finished finding out what information she needed for Hina's pregnancy, finding that she had already delivered a healthy baby girl. She went to go check on the new mother, finding Hina feeding her baby with a calm, yet sad demeanor on her face.

"Hello, Hina-san…Oh, what a beautiful girl!" Shizune complimented, coming around to get a closer look at the newborn.

"Shizune? Oh, it's so good to see you!" Hina replied, her eyes sparkling with true happiness for what may have been the first in a long time. "I didn't hear you had returned!"

"Well, I just got back. My sensei was re-called and I naturally would be behind her when she did," Shizune giggled, having long accepted the fact that she would at times be in Tsunade's shadow. "I heard from Hizashi that you were having your baby, and I naturally wanted to see if I could do anything to help!"

A silent, sad expression crossed once more over Hina's face. "…Shizune, there is actually something you can do to help me."

"Hmm? What can I do?" Shizune asked.

"I want you to take my daughter, Hinata, with you and your sensei away from this village, as soon as possible!" Hina begged, hugging her baby close to her chest.

"W-What?" Shizune gaped, nearly face-faulting down on the floor. "W-Why?"

Hina smiled sadly at her. "Because I will be dead sometime in the future."

"What? Dead? What makes you think that?" Shizune asked in desperation for her friend.

"Because I do not follow the old ways of my clan. The elders will not tolerate my defiance any longer," Hina answered, slowly rocking her baby back and forth. "Soon, after they've set up whatever plan they will concoct, I will meet my end…but I do not wish for my daughter to be a part of that world…where her own family will turn on her like rabid wolves." She bent down and kissed Hinata on the forehead. "I want her to be strong and be what my clan will need to lead it out of the darkness is has buried itself in with their stiff traditions."

Shizune could not find any words to speak. They fled her throat before her mind could register she hadn't spoken them. All she was able to do was watch this woman as she accepted her grim fate and put all the love she had left into the baby that was peacefully nestled against her.

"Shizune, I know this is sudden and this is too much to ask…but please, please convince Tsunade-sama to raise and train my daughter. I want her to become strong and there is no other stronger than a Sannin next to the Kages," Hina cried sadly. "I want to know she will be all right, no matter what life throws at her."

Shizune wordlessly nodded.

Hina hugged and kissed her daughter once more, then cried freely as she handed Hinata to her. "I will tell my husband what I have done. I will no doubt be punished for this defiance…but it's my choice, and mine alone."

"I will see she is raised well, Hina…and maybe, she can fix the wrongs in your clan," Shizune said, trying to give this woman some gleam of hope.

The sadness melted from her face and eyes. She smiled brightly at her and folded her arms under her chest.

"I already know she will become someone special, Shizune. I know she will break the chains that hold our clan in a tight grip and lead it how it should be," Hina state proudly. "All I wish I could do is be there for her, always…."

"I'll talk to Tsunade-sensei! I'll see what she can do!" Shizune said, hugging Hinata close to her protectively. "I will make sure she becomes someone special, Hina."

"I have no doubt of that, Shizune, now please go before members of the Main Branch show up, before they can get their hands on her," Hina said, beginning to cry softly again.

Shizune, nearly ready to cry, felt a strong hand grip her shoulder. She jerked around and sighed in relief when she saw it was Hizashi smiling sadly at her. "She has already told me her plan to get Hinata out of danger. Please, do your best for Hinata…she's the only hope our clan has to rise from its barbaric ways."

Feeling the great weight finally being lifted, Hina sighed and started to relax. "Do not worry, Hizashi-san. Hinata will be the light that will guide our misguided family back on the right path….I'm sure of it."

In the room that Naruto was being kept in; a room in the isolation wing with a six-man squad of ANBU laying and waiting for anything that may try to take the girl or her life.

Sarutobi calmly looked after the girl and pondered just what could be done about this unexpected change and what had happened to the seal, and most importantly, why did Kushina get sealed into Naruto? His musing was cut short when Tsunade and his two trackers came into the room. He was somewhat startled to see her holding a newborn infant and was about to ask why when he was stopped by a death glare by Tsunade.

"You and I must have a talk once things calm down," Tsunade hissed softly.

The Sandaime physically gulped and was about to give his reasons when Tsume spotted little Naruto.

"Hey! What's with the Kushina mini-clone?" Tsume blunted said.

Sandaime frowned. "Not quite, but she may as well may be."

"What does that mean?" Tsunade asked, rocking the baby softly.

"Everything will be explained, but first, I wish to know why you are carrying a newborn, Tsunade," Sarutobi said critically, feeling worried about his student holding that particular child.

"She is part of one of the things we need to talk about, but I want to know what you've got planned for that little one beside you," Tsunade snapped harshly.

"Once we fix a small problem, this child will either have her mother back…or will be placed in the orphanage," Sarutobi replied stiffly.

"Whose child is that, exactly?" Tsunade wondered, walking over to explain the baby closer.

"My student's and his wife, Kushina," Jiraiya said, suddenly appearing in the room like a ghost as he made his appearance known to everyone, having remained hidden on purpose to surprise any would-be baby assassins…and to study his old sensei.

Sarutobi glared at Jiraiya, not liking the distant attitude he was giving off, or the lack of respect he normally showed him at all times. What's more, he was furious that Jiraiya had ignored his order to keep Naruto's heritage a secret. He did not wish anyone to know the boy…now girl…parents, for risk of an enemy wishing to strike at them during their weakest…and because now the child was too valuable to the village to lose.

"Jiraiya, we've discussed about what was to be done with the child. Do not inform anyone else of his lineage, you know what it will lead to if word reaches the wrong ears," Sarutobi reprimanded.

If his student seemed to care at all, he didn't show it with the stern look upon his face. "Only you've discussed it. I have my own plans for what is to be done, and what's to say the child's lineage hasn't already fallen onto the wrong ears already?"

Sarutobi flinched at the meaning of his words. How dare he accuse him like that? He always had the interest of the village in his heart, always.

As if reading his mind, Jiraiya sneered. "Don't try and justify it with looking out for the village, Hokage-sama. That is important, but you forget to account for the _people_ that live in this village and what they'll try and do for their own reasons."

"I will see that nothing happens to the child," Sarutobi promised with a warm smile, which quickly faded when Jiraiya's face didn't break from its cold demeanor.

"I already know how you will handle the child…after watching you talk to the elders when you thought I was here the whole time watching Naruto," Jiraiya snarled, clenching his fist. "The only thing keeping me from killing you is the fact that we already lost one Hokage, the village won't handle it losing another…at least not right now."

"What is going on, Jiraiya? What does sensei have planned for Kushina's baby?" Tsunade asked worriedly, hugging the infant in her arms possessively but careful as to not to hurt the small one.

"More than I ever care to hear again," Jiraiya said, moving toward the crib Naruto was sleeping in, nearly pushing his old sensei away from the child. "He and the old farts had planned to reveal that he was the Jinchuuriki of the Kyuubi, but not who his parents were. Then they would let the villagers begin to ostracize him from everyone, knowing their fear of the Bijuu within him, I mean her! Anyway, after some time, he would begin to show him compassion and make Naruto see him as the only person in this village that cared for him, making him loyal only to him and to give him false hope of becoming the next Hokage, ensuring him joining the shinobi academy…but when he does, he'll see that he doesn't develop to be a top-notch shinobi, just enough to be manageable…so that if need be, he could kill Naruto should she become a threat to the village and not strong enough to overpower him." Jiraiya glared at Sarutobi with more venom in his eyes than one of his ex-teammates snakes.

"Now, see here, Jiraiya. It is necessary for the village!" Sarutobi tried to reason, only to be stopped by Tsunade.

"Is that so? It's bad enough you've planned for the Fourth Hokage's only child…but I'm afraid, I've discovered something worse," Tsunade said coldly.

Jiraiya looked curious at her, as did everyone else in the room who were already too shocked by this bit of news.

"I just came from a patient's room…where a woman had just given birth, one that was forced on her to bear for this very village," Tsunade exposed. "She died fulfilling this purpose that was put on her, knowing that her child was just a bargaining chip for some deal that this old fuck monkey had arrange behind the Fourth's back, because I'm dead sure that Minato would never have condoned it. But the arrangement was for the child to be raised as a shinobi for this village, preserving a bloodline he wanted to keep around."

"So that child you're holding is from her?" Sarutobi deduced, sighing heavily. "I wish you didn't have to find out like you had, but that child is for the betterment of what's to come. Now hand the child to the Anbu, is regrettable that the mother had to die, but I'll see that her sacrifice wasn't in vain."

Tsunade looked ready to kill the Anbu that had started moving toward the baby. "Like hell you will! I'll be the one to make sure this child is raised, but not for your purpose, _Hokage-sama!_ I'll raise her as my own, and see she becomes someone far better a person and a shinobi that you would have made her out to be…and I think that goes the same for Naruto!"

"Naruko," Jiraiya suddenly corrected.

"What, Naruko?" Sarutobi uttered.

"Yes, I've analyzed the new seal closer and I've found out what happened," Jiraiya revealed, he paused for a moment to let it sink in and to make his old sensei sweat a little in anticipation. "It seems it was Kushina that made the change to the seal. She fixed from the inside what this old monkey and his teammates tried to mess up with. By adding her own unique chakra to the seal, she altered it so her and the Kyuubi's chakra would be fused into Naruko's, and like any Jinchuuriki who had a bijuu sealed in them, the person was altered by that chakra…and it seems that her chakra transformed Naruko's gender from a boy to that was a girl. So, Kushina is alive and she did what she could to protect her child, even if that means remaining sealed as she is. So since Naruko is in fact a real girl, naming her so would be more fitting than her boyish name," Jiraiya picked up Naruko, wrapping her in a warm blanket and started walking toward the door.

"Jiraiya, where do you think you're going with that baby?" Sarutobi yelled with authority.

"I'm taking my goddaughter away from this damn village to raise properly, away from anyone that will wish her harm or try to manipulate her," Jiraiya said, continuing onward to the door. "I've made up my mind, Hokage-sama, and even if you threaten to make me a missing-nin, I promise you…I'll leave it in ruins before I die or let you lay another finger on Minato and Kushina's child."

Just as Sarutobi was about to reprimand his student for his insubordination, Tsunade turned away and started following Jiraiya. "Wait, you cannot leave as well, Tsunade, not with that child anyway."

Tsunade raised her hand over his shoulder and flipped him a bird. "Fucking make me. I'm with Jiraiya on this one, I'd rather see this village erased from existence before letting any child be used for your selfish purpose, you old fool."

And with a poof of smoke, both Sannin disappeared with the two babies, leaving the Sandaime alone with his Anbu in front of two very displeased clan heads, who were also parents themselves, who now glared at their Hokage with discontent and were both secretly making their own plans as to how to protect their children from any machinations that may be plotted for them…

The two Sannin had emerged just down the hallway, just in time to see Shizune running toward them with an infant of her own clutched in her arms.

"Sensei!" Shizune yelled, speeding herself up to reach her master. "We have to leave this village now! Members of the Hyuga clan are after this child and they wish it harm!" She said breathlessly. "I just managed to get out of the room when one of the elders had come to see Hina and her child, and he saw me walking way with her child. He sent two Hyuga branch members…along with Hizashi after me!"

The Sannin acted fast. Tsunade pulled her apprentice close to her while Jiraiya bit his thumb and slammed his hand to the ground, where a huge toad with swords strapped to his back appeared.

"Keep anyone from following us, you've got three Hyugas coming this way and they're not happy," Jiraiya warned the summoned toad. "Keep them busy as long as you can, so we can get out of here!"

"You got it, Jiraiya!" the toad said without question and drew the two swords from its back and readied for battle.

Tsunade kicked the closest wall to her with her heel, smashing a huge hole in it. "Come on! We're getting out of this hellhole, now!"

The other two agreed without a word and followed her through the makeshift escape door and Tsunade kept making new ones until they reached the outside air, where Jiraiya summoned another toad, this one almost as big as a house.

"Okay, my friend. Get us out of here and as far away as possible!" Jiraiya said, cradling Naruko close to him and warning the other two to do the same.

The large toad nodded and with only a moment's pause to coil its muscles, the giant toad launched into the air with a powerful leap and landed just outside the village's great walls. Then it leapt again into the air and continued on until the village of Konoha was just a spick in the horizon…

**A/N:** So, Kushina, his own mother is sealed alongside the Kyuubi in 'Naruko', hmm and plus to all that, he's not a she…what will the future hold for this new redhead in the shinobi world? Or for the two other babies that escaped their fate along with Naruko? Well, we'll see what unfolds if you review this story and let me know what you think may happen…till then…


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Naruto, only the plot of this story. Property of OC: Sakai is rightful ownership to Kri-Ifrit.

**A/N:** Wow, already gotten some great feedback from this, good, good! A thanks goes out to one of our reviewers, I'm aware that Tsunade's last name is spelt 'Senju', in my haste, I wasn't aware that I had made that critical error, I'll edit the first chapter to fix that problem. As for personal relationships, well…we'll see what happen, won't we? I cannot promise anything but please be open-minded and I'm sure you'll all be pleased with the results, thank you. Now with that out of the way, let's get back to the story…

As for my loyal readers, I must apologize for almost an entire year's absence. I've run into some hardships that had required my full attention, namely a death in the family, and my own mother who nearly died this year due to complications from a surgery she underwent, then leading problems she developed during her recovery. My focus was needed to maintain everything and keep us from losing almost everything…sadly, the incident has left us hurting and I'm still struggling to keep afloat with all that transpired this year. And I will admit…it has been the worst experience in my life…but I must thank Queen Darkmoon, who had been there for emotional and moral support to keep me in the right. She helped me return to writing and stay focus on matters at hand. So when you leave a review, please give your thanks to Queen Darkmoon, as if it were not for her…I would have been done with all my stories and writing all together. I'm glad to be back, and I will see to it that the wait was worth it all. *bows head to all* I am back…and there will be many things to come…I assure you.

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><p><strong>Chapter 2 <strong>

Three small shadows darted, moving as one around the trees and branches that littered the roof of the forest. They swiftly moved silently away from a larger shadow that seemed to be chasing after them. One of the shadows pulled away from the group and stationed itself behind a large branch and became motionless, at the same time, a poof of smoke appeared , making a another shadow that had stay with the main group and stayed with them, seemingly making it look like three shadows moving together. The one shadow hid until the larger one finally approached its hidden location and waited until it passed by, then it too began to follow behind it. It snuck up behind the larger shadow, drawing something shiny and metallic from the confines of its sleeve, a foxy smile appearing on its face.

The larger shadow increased its speed to catch up to the group. Just as it was upon the group, the one that had stayed back made its move. It whipped out with a series of kunais and metal wiring, which wrapped around the larger shadow and pinned it a nearby tree.

"Gotcha!" cheered a redheaded seven year old as she landed by the tree, throwing her hands up into the air in victory.

Shizune smiled sheepishly. "Yeah, you got me…or did you?"

"Whatcha me-!" Before she could finish her words, Shizune was behind her in an instant and delivered a hand chop to the back of Naruko's neck.

Shizune looked up at the one that still pinned to the tree, who smiled back before poofing out of existence. "That trick would have worked…if you didn't keep using that trick over and over, Naruko. WHAT?"

Naruko, who was lying at her feet suddenly poofed into smoke, covering her in a thick blanket of smoke, stinging her eyes and coughing furiously. The next thing, wires wrapped around her with kunais burying themselves into the ground around her. "Huh?"

Three girls appeared around her, holding a wire and more kunais in their hands. One girl had long, spiky red hair and mirth filled green eyes and whisker-like markings on her cheeks, dressed in a sapphire blue battle kimono with black shorts and fishnet leggings and blue sandals. The second girl had short dark blue hair and lavender shaded eyes with no pupils, in a lavender hoodie and matching sweatpants and black sandals. The last girl had darkish brown hair and onyx shaded eyes and wore a simple black battle kimono, shorts with red lining and black sandals. They tightened their hold on the wire and the redhead gave Shizune a foxy grin.

"Yeah, I mixed it up this time," Naruko said, taking her wire and wrapping it around one of her kunais and planted it into a tree next to her, which the other two girls did as well.

Shizune sighed and let her head hang in defeat. "Why did Jiraiya-sama have to teach you the Kage Bunshin?"

All three girls laughed.

"Because I'm just so awesome!" Naruko said cheekily.

"More like any other Bunshin you make turns out to be a pathetic, near dead copy of you," Sakai remarked with a bright smile, tilting her head some.

Naruko pouted. "Just take my thunder why don't cha?"

"Someone's gotta keep that head of yours from swelling up like a red tomato," Sakai cracked at her, just to get the redhead's hair ruffled up.

Sure enough at the mention of a red tomato, Naruko's whiskered cheeks puffed out in anger and her face neared the same shade as her hair. "Why you!"

"Watch out!" warned Hinata, who had been the only one still paying attention to their surroundings with the use of her Kekki Genkai, the Byakugan, allowing her to survey everyone around her at all times when activated. Had she not, she wouldn't have seen the sudden blur that made its way toward them.

The three girls pivoted away from Shizune as the ground suddenly rumbled as split open when a heel slammed down near Naruko, sending rubble flying into the air and unlatching the buried kunais from the earth, freeing Shizune enough to perform a quick shushin out of her wired bindings.

"Almost had one on us that time," Tsunade complimented before she bore down on them with serious intent. "But you still haven't learned to keep focus on your objective! You will never become accomplished shinobi of any kind if you don't pay attention to every single detail when on a mission! If it hadn't been Hinata who at least had her Kekki Genkai activated, you'd all be bloody pulp right now!"

The three girls frowned and took her stern attitude with accepted humbleness. Each girl knew they still had a long way to go before they could become shinobi and had personal habits they needed to kill before it killed them when on a mission. Namely, Naruko, although sharp-minded when the pressure was on, she had a tendency to let her temper rule her better judgment. The complete opposite of her was Sakai, who was cool and calm no matter the situation, but was prune to be too confident and didn't take her challenges serious enough. As for Hinata, the girl turned out to be too self-conscious of herself and her abilities. She had potential and there was real strength in her when she truly focused her determination. Yet, she would begin to second guess herself, think too much about what she's doing and trying to work out the faults that she might be making. When all three work together, though, all those personal faults would vanish for a time as each girl would compensate for the other.

Team work had been the first thing the girls had been trained on, and they took to it like fish to water.

It may have to do with the fact that they've been raised all together and hardly ever separated. They ate, slept, and trained together from the moment they opened their eyes to when they closed them. Their bond was the strongest that the two Sannin had ever seen, so as long as they stayed close by one another, they could overcome anything…but that was only if they were together.

As individuals, they had a long way to go before they could overcome the hardships that will come their way. Which sadly, was more than any child should have to even think of facing in life. It wouldn't be enough for them to have good teammate, they needed to be strong on their own should the need arise. Jiraiya had been the one to decide that the best course was to train them as they had been trained; to be the best in their trait. If they were to have any chance of survival, they had no other choice.

That was why Tsunade was so strict, as much as it pained her as a person, a mother-figure to the three girls. She knew it would be what they needed to have a chance to live and have anything close to a decent life. So for the starting years of the children's lives, Tsunade gave them her own personal medical training plan. She pushed them to the breaking point on a number of times, even when they had no more energy to move, she made them move. She drilled as much knowledge that she possessed into them and was very proud at how much they absorbed and how quickly they put it into practice. This didn't mean they were going to all be medics like her; although she hoped they would, but only Hinata showed the makings of being a medic shinobi like herself and Shizune. It was too soon to tell and she admitted that she hoped that Hinata might want to pursue her path, but it was her decision to make in the end. She would not be like her former sensei and decide for them what she thought was best. She would give them the freedom of choice that they were supposed to be denied for the needs of others.

That also didn't mean she didn't teach them any of her one signature style, though…

The three girls were glooming over the lecture they just received, and may have gotten more from their unofficial kaa-san had a familiar blur not appear next to the group.

"BEHOLD, THE GREAT TOAD SAGE HAS RETUR-GAHHH!" A fist ended his grand return speech that he had prepared right in the side of his jaw; courtesy of Tsunade, who used just a small burst of her super strength, which was enough to send him launching backwards and smashing into a nearby tree.

"BAKA! How many times have I told you to stop that stupid entry of yours? You scared the crap out of me!" Tsunade shouted in annoyance.

Jiraiya slumped to the ground, revealing his body had left quite a dent in the base of the tree, but otherwise looked fine besides the large swell on his jaw.

"So cruel, hime…" Jiraiya moaned pitifully. "And after how much effort I put into getting back to you."

Tsunade looked away to hide the faint blush on her cheeks. "Still doesn't mean you can just show up and give me a heart attack with that lame entrance you always try to use, baka!"

The girls all laughed, including Shizune who had the decency to hide hers behind a hand. Jiraiya groaned even more after hearing their laughter at his expense as he picked himself up from the ground and started dusting the dirt and leaves off his coat, then rubbed the large swell on his jaw.

"If even you three little gakis are gonna turn on me, then I'm not gonna show you what I brought back!" Jiraiya threatened with a narrow glare while using the hand he was rubbing his jaw to hide his smirk.

All three young ones clammed up and bolted right up to him.

"Wha'cha get us!" Naruko pleaded with big, green eyes on his right side.

Hinata tugged on his pant legs while shyly looking up at him with her hand over her chin in a cute fashion. "Is it something sweet?"

Sakai stood right in front of him, tilting her head up at him with her hands behind her and tapping her left foot somewhat. "Can we see, tou-san?" she coed in a soft way while smiling at him brightly.

Jiraiya felt his willpower melting away like hot wax being blasted by a katon jutsu. They knew just how to pull off the cutest look to make him crack and give into whatever they were after, and right now was another one of those moments.

Tsunade grunted with disappointment. "I swear, they've got you trained, you baka!"

"But they're so cute…." Jiraiya whimpered, fighting against the cuteness of the three little girls.

That was when all three girls used their ultimate technique on the Toad Sannin. They all leaned on and gave him the watery, wide-eye look, and said as one. "Please, tou-san…?"

Jiraiya lost all hopes now. "Fine…you little gakis win." He reached into the confines of his coat and pulled out a medium-sized storage scroll. "You three better appreciate what I had to go through to get all this stuff."

"So you were able to get a hold of them?" Tsunade said with a proud smile on her face toward her old teammate.

Jiraiya slapped his chest and smiled widely. "When it comes to being undetected, there is no one better than I am! Nobody in Konoha will know or will ever suspect I had snuck into the village and got into Kushina's old place and grab her belongings!"

Naruko perked up at the mention of the name. She had heard that name many times by her two parent-like figures, but they never explained in depth just who she really was. They merely told her that she was someone very important that she would one day get to know very well. Abruptly, she'd always felt a wave of warmth flow through her body, leaving her feeling as if someone had come up behind her and started hugging her tenderly whenever she thought of this Kushina person. It made her feel very safe and warm inside, and as much as she loved the feeling, she wanted to know what the cause of it was and why it happened.

Jiraiya opened the scroll and bit his thumb and used the blood now pooling up from the bite mark to swipe it over the opened parchment. As soon as his blood touched the seals, they activated and a large puff of smoke exploded. When the smoke cleared, an even larger scroll appeared resting on top of the opened scroll.

"The old man never would have found this scroll had Kushina not been more paranoid than Minato," Jiraiya said, not able to help himself as he glanced at Naruko when he mentioned his deceased student's name. Quickly averting his eyes back to the scroll, he picked it up with both hands. "She had this very well protected and hidden in her old place. If I didn't know her so well, I think even I would have never found her clan's scroll…"

"What clan was this Kushina person from?" Hinata asked, knowing her redheaded sister's need to learn more about this barely mentioned individual.

For a moment, Tsunade hesitated to reveal that bit of information, glancing up at Jiraiya who nodded in response to her questioning look.

"As far as we know, she was the last survivor of the Uzumaki Clan," Tsunade revealed, not at all surprised to hear the loud gasp from Naruko.

She stepped up to her with a hopeful look in her eyes. "…My name is the same as hers. Was she a relative?"

The two Sannin and Shizune looked down in grievance. It was Jiraiya who answered her, though. "She was the last survivor of her clan from a country called Whirlpool, and yes, her last name was Uzumaki, so she was indeed a relative of yours, Naruko…but that's all you need to know about her right now." He moved up to the small redhead and handed the scroll to her. "There's a seal on that large scroll that will open only by your blood because you and her share the same family blood. Only you will ever be able to access the contents of this scroll, Naruko, so this means that only you can safely see that whatever lies inside this scroll is meant only for you, and no other."

"…This was what you went back to Konoha for, to get my clan's scroll?" Naruko said, smiling so happily at her surrogated father, clutching the scroll close to her chest.

"Not just your scroll…but I thought I'd look around the Hyuga Clan and see if I could find anything good…and I did," Jiraiya said, swiping blood again on the storage scroll and another medium size scroll popped out. This one he handed to Hinata.

"You stole from the Hyuga!" screamed both Tsunade and Shizune in astonishment.

Instead of a cocky reply, Jiraiya turned to them with a serious, deadly expression. "When I don't want to be found…no one can find me." Then to their surprise, he swiped his thumb once more on the scroll and a third large scroll appeared. This one he handed to Sakai.

"You got one for me, too?" Sakai said, staring hard at the scroll.

"Yes…I think this one will help you greatly in the long run, Sakai…considering who your father may have belonged to. This one was actually the hardest one to get," Jiraiya said with a frown. "This one I had to sneak into the Sandaime's own private vault to retrieve. And while I was there, I looked at some of the other things he had hidden there." He reached into his coat and withdrew a tri-prong kunai and snarled. "The bastard had been trying to copy Minato's prized jutsu!"

"You mean he was actually trying to re-develop the Hiraishin?" Tsunade said in fear, already imagining the consequences should that jutsu be used, especially by the Sandaime.

"That wasn't the only one. He also had scrolls on the Rasengan and the fuinjutsu used to defeat the Kyuubi," Jiraiya said, and then everyone turned to look at Naruko.

She clutched at the scroll as she looked down at herself. She knew what she was; she knew what was done to her on the day of her birth and what dwelled within her. She had been told by Jiraiya on her sixth birthday about the real truth behind the Kyuubi attack. Tsunade had been appalled with revealing this truth to her at such a young age, but Jiraiya had been the one to insist that she should be told as soon as she could understand so she could be properly prepared when it came time to train her in using the Kyuubi's chakra. But that training wouldn't begin until she was ten. The Kyuubi's chakra was far too strong for her body to begin using without risk of serious damage or the result of her own death. She had to wait until her body finally could take the strain of the bijuu's chakra, and even then it was going be harsh for her young body to handle as it was just too potent.

"What was the Sandaime doing with all of the Fourth's information?" Shizune inquired.

"Thankfully, the scrolls weren't Minato's. They were just theories based off them. He had most of the theory behind the Rasengan down and the fuinjutsu that sealed the Kyuubi, but all he had on the Hiraishin was more of a guess than anything," Jiraiya said. "So this means he'll most likely have a counter for the Rasengan or be able to use it himself, same with the fuinjutsu, meaning, we'll just have to go one up on him!"

"How so?" Sakai asked, wondering how anything could outdo the Rasengan, as she knew from what the Toad Sannin had explained to them once when he demonstrated it, it was a very powerful and destructive jutsu.

"Based on the simple fact that the Sandaime doesn't know…that the Rasengan is an incomplete jutsu!" Jiraiya revealed, shocking the three young girls. "It was never finished by the Fourth. He had more planned for it, but because of the Kyuubi's attack…He was unable to complete his own jutsu."

Tsunade smirked as she saw where this was going. "So you're gonna start on adding elemental manipulation to it now, hmm?"

"Oh yeah! Once they learn the Rasengan, we're immediately jumping start to adding their elemental affinities to them," Jiraiya said with a confident smile, pulling out three pieces of paper. "But I 'borrowed' some chakra paper from the old man's own desk to test what they're elemental affinity is, once we know then we can plan out the final stage of their Rasengan training."

"You're really gonna teach all three that jutsu?" Tsunade said in astonishment. She always figured that Naruko would learn it once she was older, but to start them now, and to all three? "Don't you think it might be best to wait until they have a better chakra control and other jutsus to fall back on?"

"I want all three of them to be able to handle whatever that old man and Konoha may have planned for them. Besides, if they all learn the Rasengan, they'll be able to complete it quicker, or at least that's my hope," Jiraiya said, signaling for the girls to approach him, which they did. "All right, girls. This paper was specially treated with chakra when it was still a tree and then carefully process so that it can read your chakra to reveal what element you're aligned with. I just need you all to channel your chakra into that paper, and depending on what happens to the paper, it'll show what affinity you possess.

The girls immediately obeyed, trusting his judgment, and each one focused their chakra into the paper in their hands. Hinata's began to dampen and quickly drip in her hands, which made her wide, blank eyes grow wider.

"That's good, Hinata. You have a strong affinity with water, that will benefit you once we can get you better learning material on that particular element," Shizune praised.

Sakai's surprised the two Sannin and Shizune when her paper started to dampen on one side, then turn to dirt and crumble on one side, and the dirt burst into flames.

"Three elemental affinities? At the same time?" Jiraiya gasped.

Sakai looked worried. "…Is that a bad thing?"

"No!" Jiraiya quickly corrected. "It's just very rare for anyone to show signs of three affinities this early; and such an interesting combination, too! Water, earth, and fire! I've never seen anyone with those particular affinities before!"

Tsunade started frowning when the paper reacted the way it had. She had wondered what type of Kekki-Genkei her adopted daughter had, but no signs of it have yet arisen to reveal what she may have that was so important to the Sandaime. If she had three affinities already, then it may mean she's somehow able to blend them somehow. She remembered a time when she ran into one Kiri shinobi that had a Kekki-Genkai that allowed him to use ice as a weapon. If she had an affinity with what looked like to be fire, water, and earth…it could be a number of things. She'll have to test Sakai once she begins to her elemental training. She wished she had more time to talk to her daughter's real mother and found out what exactly kind of Kekki-Genkai she had possessed.

Naruko's wasn't as surprising as Sakai's but when she had channeled her chakra into her paper, it wrinkled and started sparking madly, scaring the redhead and making her let go of the paper, but then it split right in two, leaving two sparking pieces of paper on the ground.

This caused the biggest smile he has ever made in his whole life. "This is perfect!"

"Umm, is it?" Naruko uttered, wondering what was so perfect about turning a simple-looking piece of paper into a firecracker.

"You've got two affinities yourself, Naruko! From the looks of it, you have a very strong affinity to lightning, with Wind being the other one," Jiraiya informed happily, appraising his godchild.

Naruko beamed and nearly squealed her joy, but managed to contain her excitement and settled with slightly waving her fists up before her. "Yata, I'm so cool!" …Slightly, meaning not roaring her lungs out in ecstatic delight.

Jiraiya and Tsunade slightly sighed, even though they both were smiling at her childish glee.

"Now let's focus back on the matter at hand," Jiraiya said seriously. "From this point on, you three will be undergoing my style of training…the same methods I used to train the Fourth. I know you think hime-chan's training was tough, but I'm going to push you beyond those limits and teach you everything I can."

"So does that mean we're gonna get trained in summoning jutsus?" Sakai asked, curiously excited at the very thought.

"Maybe some time later, but Tsunade and I only have one summon…I don't know who will be better to train for which, although I admit, I already planned on giving Naruko the Toad contract," Jiraiya revealed to them, smiling happily at seeing Naruko's eyes brighten at the news.

Hinata and Sakai noted in understanding. They were all treated the exact same, but the two could tell that Jiraiya always dotted on Naruko the most out of the three. Neither girl were jealous of that as Naruko never once rubbed it in their faces, or made them feel bad about it. Tsunade and Shizune made up for that semi-favoritism by given them each their own time and affection. Tsunade would take Sakai aside some times for a chore or to give a bit more advice on a technique, while Shizune truly dotted all over Hinata like she were her own daughter. But all three adults had made a point to spend as much time with the other girls as much as they did on their favorite one. Many families were broken because of favoritism and although they unintentionally did have their own favorites of the three girls, they never once let the other two think they were less important than the one they liked. It was a blessing that all three girls were very bright for their age and never once felt threatened by feeling inferior to the other. What attention they felt they might have lacked, they made up by giving what advice the Sannin and apprentice gave them individually with each other.

"Now then, I need to discuss a few things with hime-chan about the new training you three are going to receive," Jiraiya said, gaining the attention of all three girls. "Why don't you take the time to look over the contents of your scrolls and get an idea of what you'll be learning, okay?"

All three nodded their heads and quickly ran off to a spot in the clearing to sit and unrolled their scrolls, eagerly reading whatever they may reveal to them. Just as they were beginning to read their individual scrolls that Naruko's eyes perked up when she noticed a seal halfway through the scroll. She knew from her personal training with Jiraiya in seals that it was a storage seal. Curious, Naruko examined the seal closer and realized that it was also a blood seal. A thought then occurred to her that her blood may work as Jiraiya had specifically given her this particular scroll; so giving it a shot, she bit her own thumb and wiped it over the seal, which immediately puffed out smoke. Upon the sudden cloud of smoke, the other two looked up at the cloud the blonde was currently hidden inside.

"Gah! Why do these things have so much smoke!" complained said redhead, waving her arms frantically to make it disperse enough to see, and coughing some.

"What did you do this time, Naruko?" Sakai said, waving herself to keep the smoke away from her.

Naruko didn't reply as the smoke finally disappeared and revealed what happened. Lying before Naruko were two huge scrolls before her on the ground. "Cool!"

She quickly grabbed the first huge scroll closest to her and opened it. "Oh Kami," she said the moment she examined the content.

"What is it?" Hinata asked.

"…This is a summon contract…of the Namikaze clan," Naruko said in silent awe.

"A summon contract? Really!" Sakai said, moving over to read the huge scroll herself. "Wow, it is! Hey, what summon contract is this for?"

"Umm, let's see…ah, here it is…it says Kirin! Umm, what's a Kirin?" Naruko said in confusion, looking at the other two.

They both sighed at their sister's somewhat lack of knowledge. Then Hinata pointed at the other scroll. "Let's see if the other scroll is also a summon contract."

"Yeah!" Naruko said, rolling the Kirin contract scroll closed, then reached to open the other, but only to watch it roll away from her hand. "What? Hey! Come back here!"

She tried reaching for the scroll again, but like last time, it started rolling away from her and kept going until it bumped into Hinata.

"Quick, catch it!" Naruko said hastily to her.

Hinata literally pounced on the scroll, afraid it might roll away from her like it did on Naruko, but it gave no resistance when she landed on it. Oddly, it unrolled itself and presented its contents to her. Startled some, Hinata carefully examined it and found it, too, was a summoning contract; reading further on revealed it was a contract for creatures called Hydra.

"Hydra?" Hinata meeked out curiously, finding herself drawn to the word. "I wonder what that might be."

"Seems like that scroll wanted you to open it, Hinata," Sakai pointed out. "Maybe you might be able to use it."

"B-But it came out of Naruko's scroll! And it says that it belongs to the Uzumaki clan…I-I couldn't!" Hinata said quickly, already rolling it up and trying to hand it back to Naruko.

The redhead stopped her. "I think Sakai may be right. You saw how it wouldn't let me touch it, Hina-chan. It seems to like you the best."

"A-Are you sure?" Hinata said, feeling a bit overwhelmed with the generosity of her sister. "I'll try and see if I can use it, but if I can't, then you have to take it back, okay, Naru-kun?"

"Deal!" Naruko said with a foxy grin.

"Man, this sucks! You two get summoning contracts right off the bat! And they both sound really awesome!" Sakai said somewhat depressively.

"You never know, you might have one in yours, too, Sakai-kun!" Naruko said enthusiastically. "Look for a blood seal in yours."

"Come on, Naruko. What are the chances that I would also have a summoning contract in mine…oh crap, I do!" Sakai nearly screamed out as she scanned through her scroll and spotted a blood seal in it. "This is awesome!" She quickly bit her thumb and wiped her blood on it, and like Naruko's, it let out a huge puff of smoke and when it dissipated, there on the ground was another huge scroll.

Sakai prayed that it would be just like her sister's scrolls and turn out to be a summoning contract. When she found it let her touch it and open it, she literally screamed in happiness to find it indeed was. "This is the coolest thing to happen to us! We all got contracts!"

"What contract is that one for, Sakai-kun?" Hinata asked eagerly, wondering what kind of creature she had gotten.

Sakai quickly read the scroll and gawked in utter amazement. "…It's for the Phoenix!"

All three of them stared at her scroll.

"Seriously? Phoenixes?" Naruko gaped in shock.

"I'm not kidding! Look for yourself!" Sakai said, letting them both see.

Once they read it, Naruko frowned when she noticed something odd about her contract. "Hey, there are no names of previous holders."

"Uh? Hey, yeah you're right," Sakai said upon looking at where the scroll should have the names for whoever had made a contract with the scroll.

"Maybe no one bothered to try and use it," Hinata reasoned.

"Or it was too dangerous to use," Sakai added, not feeling as excited as she had a moment ago.

"Well, then! That just makes yours even more special, Sakai! You'll be the first Phoenix summoner in the entire elemental nation!" Naruko said with exhilaration.

Their voices finally caught the attention of the adults in the clearing. Jiraiya, who had been focused on the new training schedule, suddenly looked up at the children and gasped at what he saw. He was called a sage for many things, namely because he overtook the Toad Sage training when he first became a contractor with the toads, but at that moment his eyes widen as a vision played before him.

Standing above each girl where creatures that were considered the most powerful, the most dangerous in all of the elemental nations. Each girl was glowing in respective colors of the creatures that stood over them like guardian spirits. Naruko was a blazing golden yellow as a dragon-like unicorn stood proudly behind her, nodding down to touch the top of her head with its serrated-like horn. Its scaly-furry hide was sparking with golden lightning and that energy seemed to transfer into Naruko as her hair shined like the sun and her body crackled and hummed with power. Sakai was surrounded in a cloak of crimson light, flaming wings expanded out and folded around her as it embraced her in its fiery hold, just before a phoenix reared its spiky crowned head and screeched to the heavens above it. Hinata was bathed in a cerulean glow as five massive heads rose up around her and encircled her like a protective cocoon of water and roared louder than any living creature he had ever heard.

"By Kami…" Jiraiya whispered, so entranced with the vision he did not hear Tsunade or Shizune shouting at him.

The three creatures looked at Jiraiya, and then nodded before they gazed down at the child they held in their embrace before vanishing from his sight, and in that same moment, he started to register things around him. Notably, Tsunade shaking him and calling his name, in a worried tone he had not heard her use since that one time he was badly injured during the Third Great Shinobi war, believing he was too fatality wounded to survive long enough for her to heal him.

"H-Huh? Tsunade?" Jiraiya finally said, looking at her fearful expression, quickly seeing relief wash over her beautiful face as she saw he was snapping out of whatever trance he had fallen under.

…Then she punched him.

"BAKA! What the hell was that about? You had me scared to death!" Tsunade screamed at him in anger.

Jiraiya winced at the pain from the growing welt on his head, surprised that she hadn't punched him as hard as she normally did. "Ow! I'm sorry, Tsunade! I…I don't know why I blanked out…"

"Probably all those blows you keep dealing him, sensei. They might finally be causing permanent brain damage," Shizune voiced her opinion, smirking slightly when her master grew a panicked look and reached out to grab his head.

Jiraiya blushed madly as she quickly scanned him with her medical jutsu; feeling very moved that she cared that much about his health….even though if he did have brain damage it was from her punches. The thought that him being that injured worried the Senju princess made him feel very happy inside.

"I think I'm fine, hime," Jiraiya said, pushing her away. "I think what happened was that as a sage, I finally had my first vision."

"A vision? You?" Tsunade drawled, giving him a blank look.

"Nani! Why do you doubt that I could have had a vision?" Jiraiya whimpered sadly, looking about ready to cry.

"Because it's you," both women said without a single bit of hesitation.

He pouted and dropped his head in shame. "…You're both so mean to me!"

"Whatever, toad-boy. Now tell us why you think you had a vision," Tsunade demanded, already going back to her normal self.

He wiped the tears from his face and quickly explained what he saw to them. Both women gaped at the details of his vision and then glanced at where the girls were busy studying the three huge scrolls they unexpectedly acquired.

"…What could a vision like that mean?" Shizune wondered to herself.

"No clue…but I think…" Jiraiya trailed off as a smile spread across his face as he watched his goddaughter and adopted daughters.

"Think what?" Tsunade prodded, getting a bit impatient that he didn't finish his sentence.

"I think we just witnessed the birth of a new generation…of Sannin."

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** And so begins a new destiny for everyone…a new line of Sannin. How will this affect the Elemental Nations? Will Konoha benefit or fall in the rising of these three aspiring shinobi…only time will tell….

Till then…


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Naruto, only the plot of this story. Property of OC: Sakai is rightful ownership to Kri-Ifrit.

**A/N: **First, I want to thank everyone who had reviewed and your patience for this update. Been awhile, yes, but I took the time to get this and another chapter done. All thanks need to go to Queen Darkmoon who has helped keep me focused on writing all this, so when you leave a review, please thank her, too. And also, if you haven't already, please check her stories on her profile. That's all I have to say for right now, on with the story.

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><p><strong>Chapter 3<strong>

Years had gone back since the last two Sannin of Konoha departed, leaving the village crippled and stressed with manpower and information. It was never really understood just how important Jiraiya had been to the village, until they lost his spy network and his support in village security, they suffered greatly. This also built up a great paranoia in the council. Without their master spy and his connections, they had to resort to building their own network from scratch, which ended with more losses than good for the village, as the people they tried to use to gather needed information were mostly caught, or never seen again. After the trial and error with their spies, they finally managed to maintain a decent chain to give them some comfort. This allowed the Konoha to be confident enough to start allowing foreigners back into their village and to hold this year's annual Chunin Exam.

They triple-checked every single person who arrived before even letting them take another step through the main-gate. A task the unlucky chunin who were in charge of admittance were forced to do, and as fate would have it, numerous people from every single hidden village, including the minor ones, had shown up. But the biggest surprise for them was the people that hailed from the Hidden Village of the Bloody Mist, the long forsaken and most mysterious village among the great five powers.

Originally, it was simply called Hidden Village in the Mist when it was first founded, but that all changed as time passed. It obtained its present nickname from the recent genocide to those that had taken place when the Mizukage had declared all those with Kekki Genkai to be exterminated. This resulted in a total border close-down to everyone outside of Mist. None of the villages wanted to risk their people with Kekki Genkai being killed, but this also left the innocent people trapped in Mist to suffer the bloodbath that fell upon them. Many were murdered and the patrols of other villages of the screams they heard rolling away from Mist…and some swore they saw how red the mist had become after the screams had stopped.

For the longest time no one knew what transpired in Mist, until recently when Mist opened its borders and sent a notice to Konoha that they would begin sending teams to partake in the Chunin Exams this year. This, of course, was greeted with great reluctance as the council feared this was just a ploy to allow their people in to kill as many of their Kekki-Genkai clans as possible; seeing as killing was forbidden during the exam, and they did not want to put their next generation of Shinobi at any more danger than they would be put through. That fear was quailed when it was learned that Mist was ruled by a new Mizukage, a woman who had not one but two Kekki-Genkai. She said she would personally come to Konoha to explain the recent events in her country, and to show further trust, has only brought her two personal guards, along with the genin teams they wished to take place in the exam.

Seeing as she would have very few of her people entering, and were given a list of names, finding most of them had Kekki-Genkai themselves, The Sandaime agreed to allow Mist to enter Konoha, with the understanding that they will be watched and should they make wrong move, they would be immediately thrown out and none of their teams would be allowed take the exam in Konoha, ever again.

The chunin that were tasked with welcoming the foreign shinobi were ordered to always alert ANBU the moment the teams from Mist arrived.

When the teams finally approached the gates, the chunin did as they were ordered and alerted Anbu. Before the teams even started to show their ID and papers, four squads of Anbu were standing by in secret around the teams. If the Mist-nin had any qualms about the heavy security, or if they even noticed that they were there, they showed no signs of it. The chunin noted some of the Genin were wearing respirators, for what they imagined was to allow them to breathe when submerged in water…and because it made them look really creepy. One chunin did take note of one team in particular.

This team stood in last behind all the other Mist-nin that were busy signing in, looking completely at ease with their surroundings. The one thing he noticed was none of them wore a respirator, but rather the genin wore masks attached to horned forehead-protectors, each one with a different styled horn. One girl, with crimson red hair had a single, serrated horn that protruded out of the center of her forehead-protector and her mask was golden and designed after the face of a noble Kirin, calm and regal. Next to her was a brunette with some lavender-ish tint to her hair; her mask was cerulean and had a crown of horns, curling over her head and around the snarling mask of a Hydra. The last Genin was also a brunette, only with red bangs and streaks running down the length of her hair, this one wore a red mask of what they guessed was some type of hawk or eagle, with bladed feathers aligned the edges of her forehead-protector like a pair of wings that circled back with bladed feathers.

The Jonin, or who they assumed was their Jonin-sensei as she stood behind them, simply wore a black facemask and a normal hitai-ate with the Mist symbol on it. She had her hair back in a loose ponytail, with two slender bangs dancing down alongside her angular face. She wore the standard Mist Jonin outfit, a pale-bluish vest with navy-blue pants and sweater and blue sandals. The chunin managed to change a brief moment to lock eyes with this stoic woman and felt his entire spine shiver when her onyx-colored eyes bore into his, as if reading his soul and already declaring his existence obsolete. That moment of dread quickly passed when the Mist Jonin shifted her eyes away, gazing uncaringly at the massive gates.

They wanted to get these people dealt with as soon as possible, feeling very oddly nervous about being in their presence, but rules were rules and they had to make them wait along with everyone else when it came time to check their papers. When they checked their photos, they were slightly perturbed that they also wore their masks in them, too. When asked if they had any real identification photos and for the three genin to remove their masks, the one with the golden Kirin mask stepped forward.

"Did you make the other Genin that came with us remove their respirators for identification?"

"Well, no. I can clearly still see enough of their faces to make a valid identification of them with those masks. Yours is completely covering your faces, and we cannot allow anyone to enter without proper photos of their identity," the Chunin challenged. "You could be anyone under those masks, and we would never know if you're trying to keep your faces a secret for personal reasons…or if you were planning on something foul while in our village."

The Mizukage came over to the counter the two Chunin were sitting behind. Her rustic red hair bounced playfully as she sauntered over to them, swaying her hips some to draw their attention to her and rewarding them with a sweet smile.

"Admit them…or I'll melt your faces off and then I'll ask for your Sandaime to apologize for his mistake of putting two dunderheads in charge of a simple assignment such as this," she said menacingly, while still retaining her sweet smile.

"W-Welcome to Konoha!" both chunin said in unison, completing their entry permits faster than they had with anyone else's.

All around them, the ANBU squads sighed in embarrassment at these two idiots lack of backbone, sending one of their own to report to the Hokage personally of the strange masked genin team. The squadron leader sent a silent signal to the fourth team to follow the masked team, just to be on the safe side, when they entered Konoha and began exploring the village.

They quickly noted that they never said a word to one another, just moved in the same direction that the golden masked girl moved. The Mist genin simply walked around randomly about, stopping here and there to look at the outside of a building, and then continue wordlessly to the next thing that peeked her interest. What none of them realized was that this particular group was well aware of their presence, and had been communicating with each other the entire time.

Naruko smirked, her lips barely grazing the miniature receiver in her mask that allowed her teammates to hear. Her teammates and their sensei showed no outward response, but their lips moved in fainted whispers with their excitement of exploring the village. Their sensei, whose eyes continue to hold their piercing gaze smirked underneath her facemask, whispering herself into the mini-receiver attached to her throat to pick up her vocal-cords, allowing her to never have to move her lips, just merely control her throat to produce enough sound for her receiver to pick up. Only her complete control over her body and mind allowed her to get away with this trick, otherwise, any of the ANBU members tailing them would have been able to read her moving lips through her mask. Naruko had wanted her to wear a mask similar to theirs, but she pointed out that it would be odd enough with the three of them wearing mask, if she wore one, it would just look totally awkward and draw too many curious eyes onto herself…and that was agreed upon before she became their sensei for this exam , that she wanted very little attention to be drawn to her while she was within Konoha's walls.

Whispering into her mask's receiver, Naruko spoke to her sisters. "This place is way different from Suna and Kiri"

"It's actually really quite pleasant here," Hinata replied, keeping her head looking forward, keeping up her silent appearance.

"Hard to believe this is enemy territory for us," Sakai added as she kept her attention on the ANBU moving along with them in secrecy. "I got to admit these guys are good...I'm actually find it slightly hard to keep track of them."

"Konoha only allowed the best to become ANBU. It isn't surprising that they will be some difficultly detecting them while we are here," their sensei said, sounding perfectly through her throat receiver. "So keep your guard up at all times."

"Speaking up keeping our guard up…what do we make of the cloud of dust running right toward us?" Naruko remarked, pointing at said cloud dust rushing toward them at remarkable speed.

"…I only know one person that could be responsible for that…move out of the way," the sensei warned, already moving out of the way.

The three did as they were told, watching as the cloud dust ran right by them and making out two individuals. Strangely, they both had the same hair-cut, with abnormally large eyebrows, and both were wearing a green spandex with orange leg warmers. The only difference between them was their height and one of them was wearing a jonin vest and was much taller and older than the other. The other clone looked to be the same age as them.

Whether or not they were aware of the people they were running toward, they showed no sign of it, as they continued in a straightforward dash down the road, and Naruko swore she heard them shouting about youth. "And just like that, this place fails."

"What exactly was that that ran by?" Sakai said, gazing the now departing cloud dust.

"That…was Maito Gai, the best Taijutsu master in Konoha…and in all the elemental nations. As for that little clone version of him…I can only wonder what woman had any sense to breed with him," the jonin replied, looking herself slightly dazed at the sight she just witnessed.

"Why say that?" Hinata asked in curiosity.

"Gai is…very eccentric with his _philosophy_ of 'The Flames of Youth'….a motto I think he derived from the Sandaime's 'Will of Fire' idealism, but in a warped, very unnerving fashion," the jonin sensei answered her genin. "It might seem bizarre, but do not under and circumstance underestimate him, or that clone of him. Gai is one of the strongest and most feared Jonin in Konoha for his fierce Taijutsu style and near unbeatable."

"You think that mini-me of him will be in the Chunin exam?" Saeko wondered to her sisters.

"I hope so. He might prove to be a bit of a challenge for us during this whole thing," Naruko remarked, then turned way to continue aimlessly of her exploration of the village…that is until her nose caught the scent of something very familiar. "…Dear kami, I smell ramen!"

A collective groan came from her sisters and sensei.

"Okay, fine. But do not go insane, okay? Your mother threatened me by pain of torture and death if I allow you to load up on nothing but ramen while in Konoha, so just get enough that's reasonable for a normal person," the sensei instructed, already knowing it would have been impossible to stop the girl from seeking out her all-time favorite food.

"YATTA!" Naruko squealed loudly, so loud that all the surrounding Anbu members that had been straining to hear anything flinched back in pain from the sudden roar from the masked genin. Naruko grabbed her sisters and started running, not aware she was making her own dust cloud behind her as she did.

The jonin sighed and rubbed her aching head. "…No matter what, she's still a predictable girl when ramen is mentioned."

The new dust cloud tearing through Konoha did not stop until it reached a small ramen stand, from which the scent had originated from. Had it not been for the mask she wore, everyone would have seen the look of pure happiness and drool leaking out from the side of her mouth.

"Oooo, this place looks good!" Naruko said, letting go of her sisters hands and entering the stand.

She was immediately welcomed by a charming auburn-haired waitress, who smiled at her regardless that she was staring right into a masked face. "Welcome to Ichiraku!"

Outside, both Sakai and Hinata were dusting their clothes off and sighing deeply, both saying, "She'll never change…"

Ignoring her siblings, Naruko already began ordering, which ended with over fifteen bowls of ramen; five being miso, five shrimp, and five beef. This caught the attention of the cook in the back.

"Did someone just order fifteen bowls…just for one?" a slightly old man gawked, poking his head out from the kitchen.

"Hiya!" Naruko greeted, waving at him.

The cook stared in disbelief the moment he saw the redheaded little girl. He nearly uttered a name that he hadn't said in a very long time, but he managed to rationalize that it couldn't be the person he was thinking about. This girl was too young, and without seeing her actual face, she could be just about any redhead, but that tone in her voice.

He smiled at her and walked over to the counter. "Welcome to Ichiraku, I'm the head chef. It's a rare day to meet such a fan of ramen."

"Heh heh, yeah, I'm really nuts about ramen!" Naruko said, scratching the back of her head, a nervous habit she has had since she could remember.

"Well, let's not keep a fan waiting! I'll have your order coming right up!" the chef said, rolling up his sleeves and returning to the kitchen in back.

Hinata and Sakai soon entered and took a sit on either side of Naruko.

"Really, Naruko. Your obsession over ramen is gonna be the death of you," Sakai uttered.

"And there's no other way for me to go out!" Naruko retorted loudly, waving an arm up in confirmation.

Hinata giggled at her antics. "Well, since we're here, we might as well relax while we can before the exams all start."

"That's the spirit, Hinata!" Naruko cheered.

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><p>The Mizukage had just entered the Hokage tower and was making her way to his main office. She merely told the petite women sitting behind the secretary's desk who she was, and the woman quickly called the Hokage. His reply was immediate and informed her to let her inside. As soon as he finished talking, she quickly out up and opened the door for the Mizukage and her personal bodyguards.<p>

"This'll be good…" the redheaded Kage smirked to herself as she stepped into the office.

The old man that awaited them behind the wide desk had been smiling when they entered, but when his wrinkled, old eyes landed on the Mizukage, they slowly started to widen in slight terror.

"T-Terumi Mei! S-So you are the new Mizukage?" Sarutobi barely managed to say.

"It's nice to meet you…again, you fucking old monkey," Mei said with a sweet, charming smile.

The Sandaime had the good graces to look abolished and divert his eyes away from hers'. "I-I see you've done well, very well." He cleared his throat and busied his hands with packing his pipe with a fresh bit of his favorite tobacco, keeping the rim of his hat hiding his worried eyes.

Mei smirked more at the old man as she took a sit, after one of her bodyguards had pulled a chair over to the desk for her to sit in, bowing in respect and taking his place behind her and next to the other guard.

"Thank you, Ao," she said politely.

The man named Ao who that had gotten the chair nodded very briefly, his only visible eye closed in solemn patience. His right eye was covered by an odd black eye-patch and on each ear he had a talisman with the Kanji for 'To Hear'. He wore a simple green robe with a striped shirt and pair of pants. His hair was fashioned in an upward cone style and had a bluish tint to it, wearing his hitai-ate over his forehead in the classical fashion most shinobi wore theirs. Next to him was a younger man, much younger. He seemed somewhat timid as he kept adjusting his black-rimmed glasses and his eyes darted nervously all about the room. Much shorter than his partner, he wore a blue pin-striped sweater with camouflaged pants, with a dark blue holster over his chest with his hitai-ate plate in the center of it. Held in the holster on his back was a doubled-hilted weapon, the rest of the sword was wrapped in thick bandages, only letting those that looked at it guess it was a wide-bladed weapon from its size. Like his partner, he had bluish tinted hair cut short and slightly tufty.

Ao glanced at the younger bodyguard and firmed his lips. "Chojuro! Stop fidgeting and hold firm! You are the first new member of the Swordsmen of the Mist! Control yourself!"

"Y-Yes! S-Sorry, Ao-sama!" Chojuro muttered meekly, trying to keep still.

"Ao," Mei said in a sing-song voice.

"Yes, Mizukage-sama?" Ao asked.

She slowly turned to him with a smiling face. "Shut up, or I'll kill you!"

Ao tightened his lips and flinched back some, then re-composed himself and returned to remaining silent and observant behind her.

Mei turned her attention to the young swordsmen. "Chojuro, you gotta learn to relax some time. We're fine right now, so just take it easy, okay?" she widened her smile at him.

He nodded quickly to her, smiling some at the encouragement she gave him and managed to stop fidgeting so much.

"Now then, to business," Mei said, returning her attention to the Sandaime.

"Indeed," Sarutobi agreed, feeling some of the blood return to his aged face. "I must commend you on your achievement to bring peace to Kiri and becoming its newest Kage."

"The first female Kage," Mei corrected. "Better than the breeding stock I would have become for this village."

"Y-Yes, about that. You do realize that everything that had happened was in the best interest for the villag…" He instantly stopped when he saw the hissing mist escaping from her parting lips.

"I don't care what the reasons were, it was still wrong and I've not forgotten your role in it, you damn monkey," Mei stated sternly, still with that charming smile. "But for the sake of getting Kiri back into the world, I am leaving it in the past and only wish to see my homeland return to its proper place as one of the great five powers, not the weakest of them."

Sarutobi nodded to her determination, leaving their past matter behind as well. He was sure if he continued to press the matter, she may declare war on Konoha and that was something he may have to fear later on, anyway. Even if she was peaceful now, she may decide later in the future to seek out revenge for what was done to her, and he would have to start making counter-measures for that impending threat. Now would not be the right time to do anything to her. As she had showed faith to come here with a small guard and just a few genin teams, it would not look well to the other villages if anything happened to a newly instated Kage visiting Konoha. It would be seen as an act of aggression and make the other Kages retaliate, maybe even starting another Great Shinobi War; and that was the last thing any of them really wanted.

So for now, she was a guest and as long as she did nothing hostile, he could do nothing…for now.

"Then let me try and make your time here in Konoha better than what you had to endure last time, Mizukage," Sarutobi said, lighting his pipe and taking a small puff from it.

Her smile widened, but her eyes narrowed, as she knew all too well what the old man was probably thinking. "Yes, hopefully I can enjoy the…splendors better without losing something very precious to me."

That jab made the man flinch visibly. "R-Right, hopefully during your time in Konoha we can patch things up and maybe form something beneficial for our respective villages."

Mei continued to smile as she always had, not at all buying into his political front. She knew all too well what would happen if this old man had the upper hand, she'd be dead in a heartbeat, just to hide the truth of what was done to her, or worse, she'd be flat on her back in some bed in a hidden room, forced back into producing children to fuel his military strength. It was a fear that her village had and had protested that she go with so few manpower, but that she knew what to do, what was to come, and she had her trump cards in place already, waiting for the right moment to carry out their mission should things go for the worse.

Speaking of her trumps cards, she wondered where and what the three of them were doing right now.

* * *

><p>The three of them were just finishing their meal and making their way to the hotel they were assigned to use, when they heard a commotion not too far away. Curious, the three masked genin wandered over to the loud noise, soon stumbling onto a scene with a teenager in a black outfit that was slightly like a cats, and whose face was oddly painted to give him a more feline appearance, on his back was a large bandaged package. He was currently holding up a small boy who wore a pair of goggles on his head, a weird helmet-like hat and an oversized scarf around his neck.<p>

He was squirming in the larger boy's hand futilely, and screaming at him loudly, "Get your hands off me you baka! My grandfather is the Hokage! I'm his honorable grandson and if anything happens to me, you will be made to pay!"

"You better just put the gaki down, Kankuro. We've just got here and we don't need to do anything that will reflect badly to Suna," a blonde-haired girl stated.

The girl that had spoken had her hair pulled back in four ponytails that spiked out some, and wore a battle kimono much in the same fashion that they wore; only hers' was a lighter shade of lavender than what Hinata usually wore. Underneath, she had on the typical battle-mesh that all shinobi wore, with two leg-huggers on her left thigh and on her right calf, around her waist was red sash, holding the huge battle-fan she had on her back, and around her neck was a hitai-ate with the symbol belong to the shinobi of Suna.

Upon seeing the blonde, Hinata cheered out. "Temari!"

Both girl and boy turned to Hinata and both brightened up when they saw her running up to them.

"Hinata-chan!" Temari called back, forgetting her idiot brother and intercepted the hug that the brunette gave her. "Wow, girl you've gotten better looking!" She looked down at her chest and smirked. "Heh, you're getting bigger knockers than me!"

Hinata was thankful for the mask, as she was now blushing deep red. "T-Temari-chan!"

"It's good to see you guys again," Sakai said, walking over to the group. "Why are you picking on the shorty there?"

"He ran into me and didn't apologize," Kankuro accused, shaking the boy in his hand.

"So? He's just a little brat, he doesn't have any brains yet to know he has to apologize," Naruko replied, pulling the kid out of the boy's hand and setting him down. "Okay, kid. You lucked up this time, so get going before your luck changes, got it?"

"Do you have any idea who you're talking to!" the boy shouted, pointing up at her. "I'm the honorable grandson of the Sandaime, everyone shows me respect. Why should I listen to what the likes of you has to say, huh?"

It looked like Naruko was going to just back off and just ignore the boy, which was the impression from the boy's point of view. But in a flash of a second, his face was greeted by the dirty road and wondering where the explosion of pain in his head came from.

"Like I give a damn who your grandfather is," Naruko growled lowly, clenching the fist she had used to sock the boy over the head with. "If all you do is rely on your family's reputation, then you'll just grow up being a weak, arrogant little punk that'll be killed off the moment he sets foot out of his village! If you really want respect, you got to work to earn it! Got it!"

He boy meekly nodded, rubbing the blood that had started leaking down his nose. "Y-Yeah…"

"Good! Now come on, let's do this properly!" Naruko beamed down at the boy. "My name's Naruko, what's yours?"

"I-I'm Konohamaru…my-my grandfather named me after the village," the boy uttered, getting up and wiping the dirt and blood off his face with his scarf.

"That was nice of him. Do you like your village?" Naruko asked.

"Y-Yeah! This is my home! I wanna become its greatest, strongest Hokage! Better than all Hokages before me!" Konohamaru declared.

Naruko smiled proudly at this boy, finding she liked his attitude. She reached down and patted his head. "Well, take what I said to heart then, work on becoming strong and protect the people you care for, and you'll no doubt become the greatest Hokage, okay?"

"Yeah! I won't forget! Thank you, Nee-chan!" Konohamaru said, smiling widely up at the masked girl.

"What a load of bull," a cocky, arrogant tone echoed from a tree nearby.

Everyone turned to see a boy with spiked-back hair and cold onyx eyes staring at them indifferently, as if he was studying insects. His attire was simply a high-collared navy-blue shirt, with matching shorts, white arm-warmers and a Konoha hitai-ate tied around his forehead. He watched them all while tossing a few pebbles up and down lazily.

"Do you have something to add?" Naruko asked, folding her arms underneath her chest.

"What you said, that's only what a weak-minded person would say," the boy replied.

"Oh?" Naruko said, lowering her tone and starting to feel annoyed with this leaf-nin. Something about his entire attitude was making her skin crawl with anger.

"Yes, about having to earn respect by work. Only commoners and civilians have that mentality. Seeing as you don't have a hitai-ate, I don't think you have any right talking back to a real shinobi.

Naruko snorted at him. "We're representing Mist in this year's Chunin exams."

This caught the boy's interest. "Chunin exams? So you're actually gonna try and attempt them? Humph, then you'll be wasting your time as I'll be attending it myself." What none of them realized was this was the first he had heard of the exams, but he played it cool as to not allow them to know this. Rather, now that he knew about the exams, he planned on seeing his sensei signed him up for it so he could attend and put people like this girl in her place. He was an elite. A member of a clan full of powerful shinobi that desired no less a rank or respect, because of their status as the best of the best. "You'll soon find out your place in this world."

"You are annoying. Shut up before I kill you…" a soft, raspy voice suddenly spoke up.

The boy flinched and looked down at a branch behind the tree he was sitting in, finding a boy his age standing upside down on a branch. Cold, stoic, black-rimmed eyes locked onto his from a redheaded boy dressed in a simple baggy, black shirt and pants, with a battle-mesh shirt underneath it. Over his left shoulder, he had a white scarf that wrapped around his torso and around his waist. Strapped over his other shoulder was a leather belt holding a huge brown gourd to his back. The most noticeable feature of this boy was the red kanji for 'Love' tattooed over his left eye.

The other boy was startled. He never once sensed his redheaded boy's presence at all. If he hadn't of spoken out, he may have never realized he was right behind him. This wounded his pride greatly. Before he could do anything about it, the redheaded boy disappeared in a swirl of sand, using the Suna's version of the 'shushin' technique to reappear next to the Temari and Kankuro. Once more before he could say anything toward this stranger, Naruko was suddenly upon the other redhead, wrapping her arms tightly around him, hugging him close.

"GAARA-KUN!" she squealed somewhat, but then regained her composure and loosened her tight grip around the boy. "I missed you so much!"

The boy named Gaara had a faint blush on his face as his eyes grazed somewhat away from her. "N-Nice to see you, too, Naruko."

"Oh, don't be like that!" Naruko giggled. "You can be relaxed around me!"

"Oy! Stop hogging his attention, Naruko!" Sakai growled as she approached the two and wrapped her arms around one of Gaara's arm, promptly bumping Naruko away from him. "It's been awhile, Gaara-kun…"

He started stuttered some and looked about to pull his arm from her when suddenly another weight attached itself to his other arm. He turned to find Hinata hugging that arm, her head lowered somewhat away from him.

"H-Hi, Gaara-kun," she said weakly.

This time a faint smile rose from his stoic face, and then sighed. "It's good to see all three of you."

"You know this creepy guy?" Konohamaru uttered, looking up at the unexpected sister figure in his life now.

Naruto nodded her head. "Yes, we were raised and trained some along with Gaara and his siblings when our parents visited Suna for a time, but we haven't seen Gaara-kun for almost a year now."

Konohamaru got a cheeky smile and leered up at Naruko. "He your boyfriend, eh?"

Naruko lost some of her composure and started giggling nervously. "T-That hasn't been decided yet!"

"Which isn't likely to happen, as I plan on being Gaara's girlfriend!" Sakai announced confidently.

"…L-Like hell," Hinata said, surprising the Suna siblings and her two sisters.

Temari soon giggled and walked over to Hinata patting her on the back. "Finally got that backbone when it comes to boys, huh?"

Hinata just hugged Gaara's arm more, not aware she was trapping his limb in between the crevice of her maturing chest. "Well, I deserve a shot, too, don't I?"

"Good! My Gaara needs a good woman backing him…or over him," Temari jeered, smirking like a fiend when Hinata started uttered out nonsense and seeing her little brother finally blushing fully.

The boy up in the tree cleared his throat, gaining the attention back to him. "As sickening as this scene is…I'd like to know if you are also here for the chunin exams." He said while pointing at Gaara.

Gaara regained his stoic expression and just nodded, then turned to his siblings. "Come on, Baki is waiting for us at the hotel." Then he turned to the masked girls. "…C-Care to accompany us?"

"Sure!" they all said.

Right before they left, Naruko turned to Konohamaru. "You better get going, too, Konohamaru. You don't want to worry your grandfather with all these foreign shinobi in the village. You lucked up with us saving your butt, but you might not luck out with others you may run across."

"Okay, nee-chan! I'll head home right now!" the grandson said, but then started looking nervous. "…U-Umm, nee-chan?"

"Yes?" she replied, tilting her head some in waiting curiosity.

"…M-Maybe you can come play shinobi with me and my friends before you leave this village?" he asked hopefully.

Naruko smiled behind her mask, and then remember she was wearing one, she nodded toward him. "Well, if I'm not too busy with the exam and get some free time…we can work some time to play, BUT! I expect you and your friends to work on getting stronger during that time, got it!"

"Yes, nee-chan! I will work on it, harder than I have ever before!" Konohamaru vowed, feeling for the first time very confident and the want to prove himself to his new friend.

"Now get!" Naruko ordered, pointing out to the street from where she suspected he had run from before colliding into Kankuro.

The boy was off as fast as his short, little legs could carry him, waving back excitedly to the group.

"That was pathetic…a girl playing shinobi with gakis like that," the arrogant boy snorted.

"Listen here, duck-ass. I'm starting to get short with your attitude. Just who the hell are you to think you can think so low of others?" Naruko snapped at him, really feeling the need to belt this boy right in the kisser with her fist…with a bit of chakra enhancement charging it.

"You're not worth telling my name to…but you," he said, turning to Gaara. "You I'll tell my name…it's Uchiha Sasuke."

All three girls widened their eyes in alarm.

Hinata quickly whispered into the receiver in her mask to her sisters. "This is Sasuke? Kami, he's nothing like what we were told."

"He's a fucking jerk, that's what he is," Sakai remarked, narrowing her eyes in contempt at this boy. "God…to think I share a blood relation with this teme."

"Damn, Ita-chan isn't gonna like hearing what's become of Sasuke," Naruko replied back to them, signaling them with a finger to start moving.

Gaara, seeing Naruko's gesture, started to turn away from the Uchiha. "…Next time we meet, Sasuke…I will make you bleed for insulting my friends."

Sasuke just grinned back at him. "We'll see who makes who bleed, Gaara."

Gaara just glared at him over his shoulder and then ignored the arrogant Uchiha, leading Sakai and Hinata, who still remained on his arms away from him. Naruko quickly joined them with Gaara's siblings soon beside her and heading to their hotel, which as it turned out they all were staying at.

"Heh, so they're keeping all us foreigners in one place, huh?" Sakai commented, she then leaned her frame against Gaara's arm. "Ah, to be under the same roof as you, it'll be so much fun!"

Gaara gulped nervously. "I don't think we'll have too much time to spend to hang out once the exam starts."

"Then we just got to make the best of it!" Naruko said, suddenly pouncing on Gaara from behind, and avertedly, knocking him out of her sister's grips, and then processed to push him past the lobby. "Come on, come on! Let's go see what your room looks like!"

"HEY! Wait for us, you cheat!" Sakai roared, soon chasing after the pair.

"W-Wait for me!" Hinata quickly said, running to catch up with everyone.

"Nani? Why does Gaara have all the luck with the girls?" Kankuro sighed depressively, lowering his head sadly.

"Because Gaara's not a hentai like you, and he deserves it after what he had to go through," Temari said, smiling happily for her little brother.

That sobered up Kankuro some, smiling at his brother who was now being dragged into the elevator by the girls.

"Hard to believe anymore the time when no one could get that close to Gaara, for that matter touch him," Kankuro sighed, scratching the back of his head as his mind went back to their younger years.

"I'm glad that's over and done…I don't ever want things to go back that way ever again," Temari admitted, placing a hand over her heart. "It wasn't right what he had to be put through, and I'll protect him from that pain no matter the cost."

"Same here, sis," Kankuro said, putting a hand on his sister's shoulder. "Now, we better hurry before those three cuties rip him apart!"

Temari smirked and started to slowly start heading toward the elevator, a faint blush on her face. "I'm sure Gaara won't mind if it's them doing that to him."


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Naruto, only the plot of this story. Property of OC: Sakai is rightful ownership to Kri-Ifrit.

**A/N: **Since I've posted this chapter the same time as the previous on, there isn't anything to say.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 4<strong>

Everyone had decided to meet inside the Suna's hotel room, including the Mizukage herself, after she had settled her business with the Sandaime. Once they had returned, she immediately began discussing with a Suna jonin named Baki, the jonin sensei for the Sand siblings. He looked like an average jonin, as he wore the traditional desert colored vest and pants with a black baggy sweater underneath, but his hitai-ate was attached to a white turban with a white cloth hanging over the left side of his face, what could be seen of his face was a stern, strong expression and with two red striped markings over his cheek.

The Mist jonin was with them; she was silently sitting next to Mei and giving her bit of advice when asked by her leader. "I believe our cover story had worked. So far no Anbu have done anything out of the ordinary par from their usual methods."

"Keep an eye on them, Ita," Mei warned cautiously. They had no worry while in this room or their own as they had set up silencing barrier seals to prevent any eavesdropping from the local security force.

It would be overlooked as any visiting Kage from any village had the right to set up such seals to keep matters of personal village business a secret, but the seals in the Suna's room would have to be removed once she left, otherwise it would look suspicious.

"We cannot afford a slipup. I imagine that fucking monkey is already planning on a way to deal with me should I give him a reason to," Mei said.

Ita was a hard person to read, especially with the mask she always seemed to wear like a well-known shinobi of Konoha. It was always difficult to know what was going on behind her cold, onyx eyes, but at the mention of the Sandaime, her usual black eyes switched ever so slightly, but they quickly went back to their normal color before any hint of whatever color they were turning to appeared. It was very brief and quick, and only the Mizukage caught the flicker in her jonin's eyes. She reached over and placed a hand on Ita's knee, the touch was brief, as she pulled her hand back as soon as it made contact, but it was enough to ease Ita.

Baki remained solemn while they had their moment. It was none of his business how the Mizukage treated her subordinates, whether it was with kindness or a stern one. Although, he had to admit he was envious that Mist had such a strong and caring leader; a fact he would take to his grave before ever voicing it. He was loyal to Suna, no matter what…but there were things he would like to see changed in his homeland.

Hence why he was here with the Mizukage.

There was trouble happening in Suna and his own leader, the Kazekage, had changed greatly these last few days ever since he began talking to representatives from a newly founded village, Otogakure: the Village Hidden in Sound. The Kazekage had been coming more paranoid, more secluded with all his actions, even to his most trusted people, and now no one hardly ever saw him directly. Every meeting with him was behind a screen or he would send his orders on scrolls. It was during this strange behavior that Jiraiya returned to Suna and informed the council of a plan between Sound and Suna that will lead to the village's demise. The councilmen and women at first thought he was crazy and was trying to plot their demise, but then he revealed the name of the leader of Sound. This instantly changed their attitudes as the name of the leader was…

Orochimaru.

The traitorous third member of the Legendary Sannin. He was renowned for his genius on the battlefield and strategies, and his use of Snake styled Jutsus and summons. Later on he was known as a cruel, twisted being once he was discovered to be experimenting on live people, mostly those from his own village. All the villages wondered where the twisted Snake user, fearing what he may do now that he was a missing-nin and what he planned to do next. It only made sense that to the council that Orochimaru would set up his own village and why their leader was suddenly secluded from everyone except with the couriers from Oto. It was further proven when Jiraiya presented proof of that their leader would suddenly order Suna to attack their own ally, Konoha, with the belief that once their ally was destroyed, their own Daimyo would stop using shinobi from Konoha and start funding them more. An order he learned after he intercepted the courier that was currently in a meeting with the Kazekage. He had interrogated the courier and then used a seal to wipe his mind of it and took the original scroll that only the Kazekage could open.

He then had asked for Gaara to personally attend the meeting and then use his own blood to open the seal on the scroll. The boy agreed without hesitation and allowed his blood to be used, and when the council learned of the orders within…they were outraged.

Their first act was to arrest and accuse the Kazekage of betraying their ally and for aligning himself with a well-known criminal. But oddly, Jiraiya had stopped them. He wanted them to play along with Orochimaru and the Kazekage and prevent they would aid in the destruction of Konoha. When asked why he wanted to do this, he simply said, that it was the best way to get Orochimaru out of the rock he has been hiding under. The man was too sneaky he had been looking for his ex-teammate ever since Orochimaru deserted his home village. This would be the perfect time to trap the sneaky snake himself and make him finally pay for all the crimes he has committed. To further persuade them was that he had the backing of the Mizukage, who would aid and help keep Suna safe if they sided with Jiraiya, even open up first trading-rights to them and supply them with as much water as they wanted: a treasured source for people living in a desert.

Baki confirmed Jiraiya had spoken true when he was called to see the Mizukage and was told of the new invasion plan, how he planned to use Gaara as their trump card to crush the Leaf, and that Suna was to give its undying loyalty to Oto. Fearing for his village, and for Gaara, as he had been made the boy's sensei since he first became a shinobi of Suna. He also knew he could trust Jiraiya as he was the man that fixed Gaara's seal, curing his sanity and revealing it was his old seal that made him a danger to everyone, not the boy. In that time sense, he had grown fond of Gaara, seeing him as something more than just his student, along with his siblings, and wanted what was best for them as he did for his village.

So when he learned that the council chose to go along with Jiraiya and do their part in aiding the capture of the Snake Sannin, he was more than willing to do his bit. He feared the safety for his fellow people, and mostly for Gaara, as he had to make himself out to be their most important weapon for this invasion, but Jiraiya had assured no one but Orochimaru and his people would suffer from this assault.

Clearing his throat to regain the Mizukage's attention. "My people will be ready to turn on Sound the moment the invasion starts, if all goes according to plan, the Sandaime will never know what happened until it is too late to do anything."

"…Leave that part to me. I have much I wish to discuss with that man for what he has done," Ita interjected.

"If I wasn't needed for my part, I'd be right there helping you, Ita," Mei said.

Ita patted her hand once. "I know…"

Mei quickly changed the topic before things led down more personally between the two. "I heard that our three little devils had a run in with Sasuke, what did they have to say about him?"

Ita grew very quiet, nearly remaining as still as a statue for five minutes before her eyes shifted to indicate she was still alive. "He has turned out to be a great disappointment…He has inherited all the Uchiha pride, and I fear it is worse than any Uchiha, even that of Madara."

"Hmm, so it's true then," Mei hummed to herself. "The village has done nothing but encourage his ego so they can keep the Sharingan's power a major threat to the rest of the world."

"As they have no other weapon that could seriously harm the other villages, it would only prove the logical chose that they would focus their attention on making their last loyal Uchiha their only trump card," Baki added his own thoughts, as Konoha had lost much of its former strength when the Fourth Hokage died, and then the last two Sanin abandoned the village. All they had left of the only remaining Uchiha that survived the mysterious Uchiha Massacre that killed all but Sasuke. It was strange to everyone who heard about the clan's near extinction. Why was only that boy left alive when the rest of his clan was killed? The only one who could answer that question was the man that had been responsible for all those deaths…Sasuke's older brother, Itachi.

He instantly looked at Ita for a moment, and then quickly asked, "What do you plan to do about him?"

"Nothing," Ita answered instantly. "He does not understand what really is going on, but nothing can be done with him until after the invasion. It will be too risky to do anything with him until after that point."

Baki nodded in acknowledgement, but something urged him to continue the matter. "But surely there must be something we must do? If reports from Master Jiraiya's spy in Oto were correct, and he does plan to target the Uchiha boy for some experiment of his, then should we just allow him to use this exam to give him the opening to get close to him?"

Mei simply smiled as she always did. "My three girls already have their orders about what to do should anyone try something funny around Sasuke during the exam, and they will be more than enough should something go wary." A loud racket suddenly came from Gaara's room. "…Assuming they can stop fighting over your cute little Gaara…heh heh!"

* * *

><p>"Why are all of you on the bed with us!" shouted Naruko, glaring at her two siblings, who were trying to claim their own spot on the bed with Gaara.<p>

"Who said you could get any cuddling time with my Gaara, anyway?" Sakai challenged, trying to yank the poor boy from her sister's greedy grip.

Hinata was trying to be nice and not hurt the people she loved…but if Sakai and Naruko didn't stop letting her get her arms around her idol of affection there would be hell to pay!

Gaara all the while was trying to be diplomatic about the whole situation and try to find a way that would not end with the three girls starting a fight. He remembered the last time they had fought over him. It was just before their parents had told them that they would be leaving Suna. All three of them wanted to spend personal time with him before they had to leave, and unfortunately, all three did not want to share their time with the other two. It led up into a huge brawl between them, leading to a good block of the village in Suna left in rumble. It was quickly halted when both Sannin, Tsunade and Jiraiya, came upon the scene and reprimanded them for causing so much damage, and they were not allowed to spend their remaining time in the village with Gaara until they left the village.

He remembered that moment very clearly when he saw the first group of people that accepted him and showed him the light in the darkness he had been lost in since his early childhood. Were he not so closely guard with his emotions, he would have been crying visibly when he saw his closes friends leave the village, never sure when they may return. They had given him what he had always longed for: love. Something he had been denied because of the demon that was sealed in him since he was born. He never understood its real meaning until he could think for himself and not have the Bijuu sealed inside him mess with his thoughts. It very nearly led him down the path of a psychopath had he fully given into the Bijuu's mad desire for blood and to kill everyone around him.

Naruko had been the first to show him that things could be better, and it was her that had made him trust the Toad Sannin enough to let him fix his seal. But the other two had also had a hand in helping him. Sakai had shown him that his future efforts could change how the people of Suna would view him, giving him hope that more people would start to see him more than as a dangerous, murderous weapon. Hinata had been there to encourage him over and over about his new view in life and taught him not dwell upon his past actions, but focus on protecting those closest to him. No matter what, though. He saw them equally as his closest friends…just wished they stopped trying to rip his limbs off from the tug war they started with his body.

He was finally saved from his torment when his sister walked in on the scene and giggled lightly. "Come on, girls. Leave Gaara alone for a bit. He needs to recover from all the affection you keep dotting over him."

"NO!" all three said childishly.

Temari sighed. "Wow, I never thought you three would become fan-girls. If not seeing your skills grow as we grew up, I'd have pigged all of you as those weak, pathetic wannabes."

That did it. Naruko was up off the bed and right in Temari's face, who had to literally duck to keep from getting her face impaled by the redhead's horned mask. "You looking for a fight, huh?"

"No, but I need my brother so my team can start heading to the exam building," Temari replied coolly, but really hoping she did not have to get into a fight with her friend…she had yet to win a single match with either of these mini-juggernauts.

"Awww!" they whimpered, releasing the poor boy, who quickly jumped off the bed and somewhat hid behind Temari, but looking as composed as he could as he tried to roll the pain out of his aching joints.

"Now, now. You'll have plenty of time with Gaara later, but for now we all need to head to the exam building and get this mission over with," Temari reminded them.

As soon as she said mission, the girl's body language instantly shifted from childish, moppy girls to serious kunoichi. It frightened the fan-wielder how quickly they could switch from being friendly people to the most unnerving ones in a flash. It was hardly seen as most genin their age still dealt with puberty that caused much conflict, especially for girls when they started to like boys, but these three were able to completely control those urges and focus on the task in a heartbeat, leaving behind their cheery selves. Were they trained by anyone else than the two Legendary Sannin, such a sudden personality change would have been something to worry about, as it could have led to serious personality disorders, or even unbalanced emotional stress. Not them, though.

During the time they grew up in Suna, Temari saw the harsh training they underwent under their adoptive parents and guardian. It was close to inhuman what kind of task they had to endure to become shinobi, and yet, they proven time and again when they were about to break, they would push through whatever obstacle they were forced to take during their training. Temari tried to join in on their training methods, but she barely lasted a few hours before she passed out from exhaustion, even her brother had done it and he only lasted one day, having completely used up his chakra and having to spend almost a week in bed from total chakra exhaustion. She had no idea where they got the energy to keep going, they just had it. As Kankuro had stated one time during their childhood: glad they were their friends, not their enemy.

She quickly returned to the matter at hand and waved at them. "Okay, let's get going. Kankuro is already waiting for us out in the lobby."

Not another word was shared when the group headed out of the hotel and made their way to the designated building they needed to report to. When they climbed the stairs, they came across a group of genin in front of a door where two genin were fighting off anyone that came close to the door. Naruko tilted her head for a mere moment before deciding to ignore the scene and started heading for the next flight of stairs. Her reasons? Simple, they were on the second floor and the room they were required to come to was on the third floor. Another reason she had was that she could tell a henged person when she saw one; being a master of that particular jutsu herself, she was quickly able to spot that the two genin guarding the door were not who they appeared to be.

Hinata stopped for a moment to look back at the group, and said to her sisters through her receiver, "That bushy-browed boy is here…and along with a Hyuga."

That made the other two stop and turn back to the scene to regard Hinata. With or without her mask, they could tell she had a torn expression on her face as they knew why. Hinata had never been allowed to go near another of her clansmen, something that tore at their parent's hearts, as they did not like doing that to her, but for her safety and to honor her real mother's sacrifice, they had done all they could to hide Hinata's heritage and prepare her for the day…where she may have to fight one of her own.

Sakai took the moment to study the Hyuga next to the bushy-browed boy, noting quickly it was a boy, wearing what she suspected was the typical style of clothes for males in the Hyuga clan: a simple patched uniform with black shorts with bandage wrappings on both arms and hands, with a thicker banded hitai-ate with straps hanging down on either side of his stoic face. Taking note more of his face, she saw he had the same arrogant demeanor as did the Uchiha. He looked as if everyone around him was beneath his attention and seemed impatient with the other boy's actions and scolded him for being an idiot. She almost had half a mind to tell the Hyuga boy he was the real idiot for not noticing they were on the wrong floor, but as she started to open her mouth a familiar voice beat her to the punch.

"Just drop the genjutsu over the door already, I want to proceed," said Sasuke as he walked out from the crowd toward the two fake genin. "It's obvious you placed a genjutsu over the door. Sakura, you should have been the first to spot it."

A girl with long pink hair in a red dress-like shirt and black shorts squeaked at his acknowledge and quickly dispelled the genjutsu placed over the door, revealing to everyone it was the wrong one indeed.

Naruko grunted to herself. "Fucking show off…"

"Leave them, it doesn't matter if they're delayed by that simple genjutsu or not…the real challenges will take care of the small fry," Sakai said and started making her way back up the stairs.

Before they could get any further once again, she spotted out Sasuke staring right at them, smirking as he had when they first met him.

"So you guys decided to show up? Good, it would be a shame if didn't. I was looking forward to show you what a real shinobi looks like," Sasuke said in what sounded like a rehearsed speech.

He wasn't given a single reply as the three masked girls and Gaara's team simply turned and walked away from him. They weren't going to play into his ego-boosting games, having more important things to worry about than a spoiled brat. None of them saw the look of rage that passed over the Uchiha's face at the fact he was being ignored by them. He worked on calming himself down, reasoning that he would soon show these outsiders the real power of the Uchiha and why he should be given respect.

He started to follow after the group when the boy with bushy eyebrows suddenly appeared and issued him a challenge. As soon as it was given, he accepted. He needed to let off some steam and this weakling would provide an ample excuse to take out some of his aggression…or so he thought.

* * *

><p>The two teams entered the real exam room, finding it packed almost to the brim with eager, nervous teams from the various villages. No sooner had they walked in, everyone turned to regard them and stiffen, only then to let their own assumptions to convince they could easily handle the masked team and the team from Suna. Naruko was all for letting them assume whatever they wanted; it only made things easier for them when it came time to dealing with any rivals. She took that time instead of trying to act intimating to look for her fellow Mist-nin, quickly spotting them grouped up near the back of the room. She approached them and waved to a girl wearing a Mist-hunter style mask, a moss green, striped turtle-necked sweater, with split skirt in matching colour that reached down to her knees. On the outside of that, a green blue short kimono with white edges and around the waist was a green brown obi. Her hair long silky black hair was pulled up in a white bun holder, save for two thick bangs that fell down on either side of her face<p>

"Hey, Haku. Seen you've gotten here easily enough," Naruko greeted her friend.

Haku turned to the approach three and nodded in return. "Wasn't difficult. It was easy to bypass that little facade the leaf set up for the amateurs." She gestured to her fellow teammates, both wearing Mist-hunter masks and both wearing somewhat similar outfits as Haku. The difference was that one had on a dark blue sweater while the other had a more emerald shaded one. "We did, however, have somewhat of a scrabble with a group from Iwa."

The one in the dark blue sweater groaned, running a hand idly through his somewhat spiky brown hair. "Yeah. Apparently, they have a very low opinion to anyone from Mist. Right, Miyu?"

The girl in the emerald just grunted distastefully. "Not to mention they're all egotistical males with even lower opinions on women." She jerked her thumb at said team, who were leering at her and Haku in a creepy manner. "The way they keep staring at us, you'd think they've never seen another woman before."

"They try anything and I'll show them why the Mist was called the Bloody Mist for so long," the blue-sweater boy growled threateningly.

"Stay focus, Kanbei," Haku warned, although she appreciated his protectiveness. Her warning though meant more than just be on guard for her teammate. She knew Kanbei had a personal issue with anyone from Iwa, and she worried he might let his personal grudge get in the way of the mission, but so far he had kept himself restraint, for how long she could not say, though. She had no desire to look for a fight with another village's team, even during this exam. They knew what they had to do and they couldn't be sidetracked by revenge at the moment. "So long as they do nothing to us, we leave them alone."

Kanbei sighed and nodded. "I know…but I will keep my eye on them."

"So long as you remember to keep the other eye where it needs to be, I'll accept that," Haku replied, a hand slightly rising as if she wanted to touch his arm, but quickly stopped it and pulled her hand back to her side.

Hinata was the only person to notice the gesture and smiled knowingly behind her mask. Her attention was then drawn when she saw Sasuke enter the room with his team, the pinkette and a very pale boy with inky-black, short hair and dressed in a bizarre short shirt that showed far more midriff than most boys his age were normally comfortable with showing in public, and standard Anbu styled pants and gloves. On his back, was a backpack and what looked like the hilt of a tanto, and like Sasuke, he wore his hitai-ate around his forehead. He unnerved her some because he was smiling pleasantly and yet at the same time showed not a single bit of emotion in his expression.

Her view of the creepy, pale boy was blocked when another boy stepped right in front of her. This one was wearing a grey sweater with a black fur-trimmed hoodie and sleeves and charcoal-colored pants. His face was feral-looking, with two red markings running down both his cheeks and his smile was almost wolfish, which was smirking as his beady-like eyes stared down at her. Strangely, he had a puppy sitting on his head inside his hoodie, which also drew her attention that he wore a Konoha hitai-ate on his forehead.

"Wow, you look smell nice! Care to show what's under that mask, cutie?" he said, smiling what he seemed to be charming to her.

"I don't remove my mask for strangers," Hinata said blankly.

"Well, then I'll just have to get to know you more so we're no longer strangers!" he laughed, then jerking a long nailed thumb at his chest. "Name's Kiba, the strongest genin ever to graduate from Konoha's academy!"

"Stuff it, dog-boy," a purple-haired girl with a black sleeveless shirt and shorts barked from behind him. "I swear, you hit on anything that has boobs! And you're not the strongest! Sasuke-kun is! He was the Rookie of the Year, after all!"

"Damn it, Taya! You got to try yelling louder than Sakura?" Kiba shouted back at her. "I wasn't trying anything! I was just introducing myself! We don't have to be jerks to everyone that's here, do we?"

"Sound reasoning, but I can't help by question your true motives," a boy wearing a high-collared trench-coat and black pants came over to the two. His hair was curled up and held in place by his hitai-ate, and but his eyes were hidden by black-tinted glasses.

"Man, Shino. You really are a buzz-kill," Kiba grumbled.

Shino shifted slightly, most likely sighing at his teammates remark. "Let us just return with the others and wait for the instructor to begin the test."

"Yeah, yeah…" Kiba waved him off, then turned back to Hinata. "Can I at least know your name."

"…Hydra," Hinata replied cryptically.

That made the leaf-nin stare at her curiously.

"You're name is Hydra?" Kiba repeated, not sure if he heard her correctly.

"That is my codename. No need to give my real one to people that may prove to be my enemy later on," she said coolly. "I am from another village after all."

"Do your teammates have codenames as well?" Shino asked curiously, looking at the rest of the masked Mist-nin.

"We do," Sakai answered.

"Weird…" Kiba uttered.

"Not our call," Naruko stated. "We were given these names to protect our identity…after all, there had been people from other villages that have been killed when they tried to enter Mist during our isolation. Some people may still hold grudges against us for their deaths." That was the story they agreed to use to explain why all the Mist genin wore masks.

Shino seemed to accept that logic as he nodded. "Reasonable assumption. We do have a lot of teams from other villages here…" He then leaned over somewhat to Hinata. "Be wary of the Iwa group…I overheard them saying some disturbing ideas about you and your teammates."

"Thank you, you did not need to warn me, but I appreciate it," Hinata thanked him.

He adjusted his glasses as he straightened back up. "I do not condone with that kind of behavior, so it is only right you are given a heads up. Most people here in Konoha have a similar outlook."

"But not all," Sakai said through thin lips.

Shino shrugged. "I won't defend the actions of everyone in Konoha. We have our bad apples the same as any place."

Miyu walked right up to the boy. "I like you."

Shino stiffened and started to let his gaze wander everywhere but the mist genin. "T-Thank you."

"Come on, leave the shy boy alone, Miyu," Haku said, giggling somewhat. "We should play nicely."

"I am playing nicely!" Miyu said teasingly, blowing a kiss at the boy. "See you later, Shino-kun!"

"Oh this is so wrong!" Kiba almost shouted. "He gets a hot girl after berating me about talking to women!"

"Just sucks for you then," Taya said, then grabbed his ear. "Come on, bad boy. We need to stay with our own people."

He whimpered some from the pain from his ear. "Ow, ow! Fine! Talk to you later, Hydra!"

Hinata waved politely and sighed in relief. "That was close…"

"He seemed nice," Sakai said.

"Yes, but that was all," Hinata replied. "Besides…you know who I prefer." She looked over her shoulder at Gaara.

"Don't blame you for having better taste," Sakai giggled, seeing her comment made the Gourd-carrying boy blush somewhat.

"We might have trouble," Naruko suddenly said, drawing everyone's attention and pointed. "Look there."

Everyone followed her finger and spotted a team with a musical note on their hitai-ate starting a fight with a grey-haired boy wearing round-shaped glasses. It seemed that a huge brawl was about to break out, until a tall man in a thick, black trench-coat and a bandana stalked right into the room. His expression was very stern and unreadable ,with a long scar running down his face, past the middle of his mouth, with another scar trailing down from his left cheek, giving him a very imposing, and even more intimating look.

"SIT DOWN AND SHUT UP YOU MAGGOTS!" he shouted harshly. "Anyone that starts a fight during my part of the test will be immediately expelled from this year's Chunin Exam."

Everyone obeyed and quickly found a seat, not caring where, just grabbing the closest one.

"My name is Morino Ibiki. I will be the first proctor you will have to deal with during this exam," the man barked, giving every one of them a heated gaze, narrowing his eyes when he saw the masked Mist-nin. "You're all gonna wish you never met me after this part of the text."

Naruko rolled her eyes, once again thankful she wore a mask so she could get away with it, speaking lowly the mic in her mask. "…This guy serious?"

"Just play along. We all know this isn't going to be easy…well, for everyone else it won't be," Sakai replied.

"Heh, true. Well, we finally started this mission…let's see how interesting this gets," Naruko smirked under her mask, feeling more psyched than she had in a long time.


End file.
